Free speech, antisemitism and the fight for America's campuses

By David E. Bernstein,

David L. Bernstein

(JNS) — The Hamas-led massacre in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, horrified the Jewish world. For many American Jews, it felt personal. What followed on American college campuses further shocked American Jews. Rather than mourning or condemning Hamas’s atrocities, many individuals and student groups celebrated them, excused them or blamed Israel.

Chants of “globalize the intifada” and “from the river to the sea” spread across universities. Students praised “martyrs” and justified violence. Some mocked or denied the mass rapes and kidnappings that occurred. Jew...