{Also published at the Elder of Ziyon and Jews Down Under.}
Contact
Office of the President
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue, Administration Building 562
San Francisco, CA 94132
Phone: (415) 338-1381
E-mail: president@sfsu.edu
http://president.sfsu.edu/biography
San Francisco State University President, Leslie Wong, very much admires the General Union of Palestine Students (GUPS).
He even said that "GUPS is the very purpose of this great university."
The problem that president Wong has is that GUPS, while according to him representing the very purpose of SFSU, also incites violence against Jewish supporters of Israel, which is the great majority of the Jewish people.
Every time they wail into the face of Jewish people, "Intifada! Intifada! Long live the intifada!" we know that they are screaming for blood... the blood of our parents and the blood of our children.
Why would the president of a significant American university support a student organization that quite literally calls for the murder of Jews?
Let that question sink in for a second.
By going out of his way to compliment GUPS - an organization friendly with terrorists like plane-hijacker, Leila Khaled - Wong signals to Jewish people that inciting violent hatred toward us is acceptable to himself, and to SFSU, as a matter of "social justice."
The Context
Rates of violent anti-Semitism are dramatically rising around the United States and throughout Europe.
Jews are killed by jihadis in places like Paris or Marseilles or Malmo, while within Israel Junior-Jihadis are chasing after old ladies with knives and hand-axes.
Meanwhile, throughout the Muslim Middle East, imams and ayatollahs regularly teach their congregants that Jews are the children of orangutans and swine and screech to the heavens for our genocide.
They love to tell one another that butchering Jews is beautious within the heart of Allah.
Iran inches closer to an operable nuclear weapon that it has promised to use against Israel in order to bring about genocide and the progressive-left could hardly care less. In fact, the western-left generally blames anti-Semitic violence on the victims of that violence. Of course, such a scenario would also result in the deaths of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Arabs, but Tehran does not seem to particularly care and neither do its western supporters.
In Europe and the United States, the Red-Green Alliance between progressives and advocates for political Islam is flourishing. And the movement to Boycott, Divest from, and Sanction Israel (BDS) - supported by Wong if he supports GUPS - is seeking to undermine the viability of the tiny Jewish state by seeking to turn universities, corporations, governments, and NGOs against it and, therefore, against the Jewish people, more generally, in an effort to eventually bring down both the country and the well-being of the Jewish people.
Israel and the Rise of the Crybullies
Of course, it is in the universities that the crybullies (snowflakes) demand their "safe spaces" while refusing to allow Jewish students any such courtesy. They complain about "microaggressions" and "micro-rapes" - like commenting on a cute sweater - even while inciting deep hatred toward Jews in the most raw terms possible.
Anti-Semitic anti-Zionists incite hatred toward Jewish supporters of Israel, and Israeli Jews, via "the Palestinian narrative." The narrative depends upon defamation, unjust insinuations, and highly biased historical conclusions that leave the great Muslim majority in the Middle East, which represents perhaps the most successful and vicious political project in human history, as innocent victims among among the minority population that they have victimized.
This results in violence against Jews supported by western academic institutions as driven by their most hateful and racist students.
Enter the General Union Palestine Students (GUPS) and their patron saint, San Francisco State University President Leslie Wong.
As Dusty over at Pro-Israel Bay Bloggers reminds us:
The president of the organization, Mohammad Hammad posted a photo on his tumblr account, declaring "I seriously can not get over how much I love this blade. It is the sharpest thing I own and cuts through everything like butter and just holding it makes me want to stab an Israeli soldier.Indeed. That is an exceedingly good question, although, as we have just learned via the video below, it is not that SFSU tolerates the intolerable so much as it positively encourages the intolerable.
San Francisco State University General Union of Palestinian students neither condemned Hammad's words, nor distanced themselves from them.
Why does SFSU continue to tolerate the intolerable?
GUPS is a student organization that is calling directly for the murder of Jews and it is supported by the president of the university.
Check the video clip. Wong's remarks begin just after the five minute mark.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI understand your anger and your passion. What I am failing to understand is your surprise.
However awful this is, it is absolutely in keeping with what the prevailing orthodoxies, and the culture, that dominate the universities. Within what they "believe" this makes perfect sense.
This is the "logic" of these ideas in action. And, yes, they *do* call this "social justice."
It's time to fully grasp the ideas that permeate the thinking of the progressive-left. All of them. You said the other day that you had to look up what "cisgender" means. However daft it all might be, with respect, you shouldn't have to look that up. All of these ideas about "intersectionality" feed into the same thing. Whether about ethnicity or gender issues. They are all part and parcel of the same thing.
This is about power dynamics. There is no such thing as prejudice against "dominant groups." Racism as previously understood does not exist. Therefore, there is no racism against Jews.
This is a combination of theories and ideology reaching their logical conclusion, and universities having to accommodate the feelings of students who are from "marginalized groups." It's about "privilege." And about ideas of "liberation." Everyone will wish to align themselves with what is considered the most "oppressed" group. And to rage against those considered the most "privileged." A lot of it is driven by a sort of psychodrama that is fully encouraged and enabled on campuses. With students who learn only about their own "experience" and grievance. That's the point of it.
Being amazed that Mr. Wong supports "resistance movements" against Israelis is like being amazed that the people at the top of the UK Labour party call Hamas and Hezbollah "their friends."
The Left has moved away from class struggle and embraced the notion of helping to free those oppressed by colonialism.
Anyone considered marginalized goes to the top of the hierarchy. So, for example, cisgendered people are forbidden to have an opinion due to their " privilege." As are white people. Or heterosexual people. More than one of those traits makes you someone who is forced to self-flagellate for evermore. This is what's happening, it's not some weird minority pursuit. It's the bread and butter of culture at universities. And beyond. "Marginalized groups" are taught that they can be as full of hate and racism as they like, because it's "not possible" for them to actually *be* racist or full of hate. It's their right. Their entitlement. It's "social justice."
Totally appalling, totally logical, within this ideological framework.
Excuse extra "what" in above comment.
Deletek,
DeleteI was at UKMediaWatch today dealing with this Ken Livingstone crap. It is appalling that so many in Britain are in so much denial about what constitutes antisemitism. The BBC has a section on what's antisemitism vs. what's anti-Zionism. I didn't read it because the premise I feel is bullshit.
Livingstone, as you know, wants to defend himself through the use of an 'academic work' by American Jewish Trotskyist Lenni Brenner.
Go to Harry's Place. There are two pieces about Brenner by Paul Bogdanor.
http://hurryupharry.org/2016/04/29/who-is-lenni-brenner/
http://hurryupharry.org/2016/04/30/ken-livingstone-lenni-brenner-and-historical-distortions-a-case-study/
Thanks for the article by Nick Cohen.
Jeff,
DeleteYes, it's appalling. We are in the midst of something truly toxic. And there is every chance it will get worse.
I go to Harry's place a lot, so have read those articles. Harry's place has been doing sterling work for a very long time. Sadly, they are out on their own. I'd like to say this is all very interesting, but it has become frightening, really.
This can happen anywhere.
Kate,
Delete"What I am failing to understand is your surprise."
It's not so much surprise as it is disgust and revulsion.
I think that your analyses is on-point, although I wonder about "intersectionality" and power politics.
It goes without saying that the collective Left, like the collective Right, are pursuing tactics to increase their own advantage. However, on an individual level most anti-Semitic anti-Zionists honestly do believe that they are pursuing "social justice."
That is the heinous irony.
Calling for the murder of Jews is now considered progressive and good.
Individuals on the Left honestly applaud and it's not because they are thinking about power politics.
It's because they truly believe that the Jews of the Middle East represent a nefarious fascistic population that needs to be diminished, weakened, and dispersed.
Of course, that is precisely what students in 1930s Germany generally thought about their Jewish neighbors, as well.
The big difference now, of course, is that we have the IDF and nuclear weaponry.
I wouldn't dismiss intersectionality and power dynamics. It's exactly what people are being taught. I was on another site the other day talking about Labour party problems with antisemitism, and, an obviously younger person commented a whole load of postmodernist, critical race theory jargon along the lines of: There is no such thing as a specific need to talk about racism towards Jews. Antisemitism is, apparently, an invention. All bigotry is the same and all "racism" is actually about power dynamics and context. Blah,blah, blah. It's a word-soup of postmodernist rubbish. Only context counts. And you can imagine how that goes. It's all about perceived experience. There is no need to define a separate definition for antisemitism. According to this young ( I'm presuming) girl, all experience of ethnicity and gender are "fluid." It's interesting. Intellectually vacuous, but omnipresent. You can't ignore it. It's what generations have been, and will continue to be, taught. It's about understanding everything through the lens of "social justice." And you don't get to decide what that is. The universities do. So, that's that. I have seen video of students at Harvard seriously suggesting in a debate, about social justice, that all white people should commit suicide. With no sense of irony at all. This is the logical conclusion of postmodernism and identity politics and the hierarchy of victimhood that has created the current culture. Of course they support killing Jews, Jews are a dominant group. It's that stupid. And that ideologically appalling.
DeleteThere is "no such thing as objective reality." That's postmodernism. It's real, and it's what you have to confront.
Oh, and apologies for sounding a bit frazzled, but it's pretty awful over here, there is no point in talking about Jews suffering as a religious minority under Arab rule because for that to be understood you'd have to also get people to understand that Christians suffered under Arab-Muslim rule. And that is never going to happen. Christians, like Jews, are a dominant group. In America and in the West. It's Christians who *did* imperialism and colonialism. So there's sod all chance of getting social justice types to have any sympathy. I noticed at the beginning of that video you posted that the faculty member who was speaking started by self-righteously pointing out that everyone was standing on "indigenous ground." It's mindless. Solidarity with what? It's the "oppressed talking about oppression." To applause. Victimhood and grievance politics. But morphed into education. It's not education it's activism. And they're full of hate and self-righteous importance. It's atrocious. And it's everywhere. It's teaching hate. To people who will act on it to make themselves feel good.
DeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteLook at it from Wong's point of view - power, prestige, and a nice living.
Sure it's disgusting. The question is what are we going to do about it? Parts of this hysteria about people's place in the world that k refers to will eventually work itself out or collapse because they are telling human beings to go against their very nature. But it's better to pop their springs sooner rather than later, before the cognitive dissonance destroys the fabric of our society.
As for the antisemitic aspects - what will probably be needed is to use some of the other side's tactics. What the 'hasbara' community has been lacking IMV is a sustained attack on their narrative. I think you are on to something when you speak of the hierarchy that existed for Jews in Arab/Muslim society. My feeling is that the time to act is now, and in addition to playing the 'civil' game we also need a 'fuck you' wing.
Kate's insights into what's going on are quite valuable. The UK is poised to lose it's democracy to this nonsense. The head of the Labour Party brown noses some of the most disgusting groups on planet earth. This could be us one day. Let's not let that happen.
Right now Israel enjoys higher support here than at point in history, and certainly more support than it has ever had in Britain. But we cannot be complacent.
No-one, who isn't already doing it, is going to start laying blame on the Arab-Muslim world for parts of its history. The anti-Western culture is so overwhelming that it's not possible. It's the same argument as in the comment above re identity politics and intersectionality. Western powers - and countries backed by them - are "dominant groups." Everyone else is "marginalized." In a hierarchy. Some places are more " marginalized" than others. And some peoples.
DeleteIt's interesting. Can't see a way through it. Love to be able to, but can't.
The US if I understand what happened, correctly had a long history of institutions that quietly barred or limited Jewish membership or enrollment. I believe the movie "Gentleman's Agreement" spoke about this. So you're seeing a return to that era. After a period of say 40 or 50 or perhaps a few more years institutions are now barring Jews and driving out the Jews that are currently still there. Soon there will be universities and other organizations from country clubs to unions to corporations even certain areas of the civil service which will be effectively barred to Jews. I don't see this as peculiar or remarkable.
ReplyDeleteNo Dogs No Jews No Irish has been a motto of large swaths of American society for a long time. For example did you know that the last state to legally emancipate Jews was New Hampshire and it happened in 1876, eleven years AFTER the ratification of the 13, 14 and 15th amendments. Nothing Israel has ever done has 'created' or fomented antisemitism. All it's ever done is REVEAL it.
I accept that I live in a country, a society, a culture that doesn't welcome me widely. I accept there's a pretty high probability that most of the people I come across don't like Jews. I accept that my children's significant others' families do not and will not entirely like Jews because they are Jews. I accept that live in a ghetto of the mind the goyim will never know. They don't like me and I don't like them much either. The great thing about this country is that I don't have to care.
I think what should happen though is that someone needs to gather up some funding to produce an annual list of American universities that are ranked by antisemitism. Publish the methodology for all to examine, publish the raw data and compile a ranking. That way students can know the facts and make their own best decisions accordingly. I am sure there are large numbers of Jewish young people who either don't care or would welcome the option to go to a school where they could openly hate their own identity just as I am sure there are Jewish young people who would care and stay away.
From the 1930's to the 1970's CCNY/CUNY and Brooklyn college were called the "Jewish Harvards" because they were. They were open to top tier students they were free and they welcomed in the 1st generation Jews like none other. And they have the absurdly large number of Nobel Prizes to demonstrate it. Now of course it's nothing lie that but going forward there should be some kind of benchmark or reference standard that Jewish students can use to help them make an informed choice. If that means that over time no more Jews go to the UC system, Vassar, Brandeis, Northeastern, Mizzou, Amerherst, Dartmouth and 20 or 30 or a hundred other places, then so what? There's always Caltech, CMU, MIT, Wharton, Northwestern, Rice, Duke, NC State, Georgia Tech, UVA, Clemson, Tulane, RPI, and dozens and dozens and dozens of American universities who don't cotton to antisemitism. To hell with the rest.
"Nothing Israel has ever done has 'created' or fomented antisemitism. All it's ever done is REVEAL it."
DeleteGreat insight, Trudy.
Islam is a death cult.
ReplyDelete3 Labour councillors have been suspended today. Three! In one day. For vicious "alleged" antisemitism. It's like a freak show. And yesterday Corbyn was at a May Day march with a bunch of Stalinist,North Korea supporters who, of course, are mindlessly hateful to Israel and Jews. Holocaust denying, vile people who shouldn't be given house-room by anyone vaguely decent. Stalinists!! You can't make this stuff up. Harry's place is good on it all. It beggars belief that this is where we are.
ReplyDeletek,
DeleteNorth Korea supporters? Oh, I see, "friends."
Jeff,
DeleteExactly! It's almost unbelievable! Almost. But, hey, it's Corbyn.
In further news, the Telegraph reported today that fifty, that's 50, Labour members have been secretly suspended over the last weeks for "antisemitism and racism."
There was a link I had but it stopped working. Someone has posted a working link at Harry's place. On one of the latest threads.
The people who are in charge of the Labour party are stupid and wicked. A pretty awful combination.
Seamus obviously thinks this is all brilliant public relations. The mind boggles.
And, btw, it is, of course, all a "conspiracy." By guess who? Answers on a postcard, please.