Since the lawless anti-Israel campus demonstrations have been mostly dismantled, we must evaluate their attributes, actions and aims. When doing so, we will quickly discover that these demonstrations include two primary types of protestors:
The first and most dominant group in many protests were the haters – agents of chaos who portray a deep animosity towards ‘Zionists’ (their code word for Jews), and whose actions often include harassment, threats, and physical assaults directed mostly, but not exclusively, at Jewish students.
They call for “globalizing the Intifada” – that is, initiating a terror campaign based on suicide bombings in cafes, buses, universities, and synagogues, and other lethal attacks that target innocent civilians. They openly advocate for the annihilation of Israel, the world’s only Jewish state, and celebrate the October 7th massacre while expressing their support for Hamas, a genocidal terror organization.
They reveal both the depth of their animosity and the danger they pose to free societies.
These agents of chaos and violence find close allies among those who may be characterized as “true believers”: professional activists and dedicated amateurs who help organize, instigate, train, coordinate, and finance the demonstrations.
Some of those “true believers” are devoted to long-term agendas like BDS, which are designed to delegitimize and ultimately destroy Israel. Others, active in unrelated causes, have been coopted by the anti-Israel movement.
Both factions are characterized by their adherence to radical ideologies and the refusal to let facts get in the way of their agenda.
The second type of protestors are the followers, often described as naïve idealists or, more commonly, useful idiots.
Their motivations vary, ranging from the self-righteous who mistakenly believe they are promoting justice, to those seeking social acceptance by identifying with the trending cause.
Many members of this group are characterized by their near total lack of rudimentary information about the cause they are supposedly fighting for – in our case, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the events that took place on and after October 7, or a very limited set of knowledge that has been largely derived from simplistic social media postings and anti-Israel propaganda.
Useful idiots can be exemplified by the two young women filmed at a student protest in New York who could not provide a coherent explanation when asked what exactly they were protesting, with one remarking “I wish I was more educated.”
An excellent point.
For those who truly wish to be more educated, let us make a short recap of what is happening now in the Middle East and why:
On October 7th Hamas perpetrated a massive terror attack during which it murdered over 1,200 Israelis in the most horrific ways imaginable, systematically raped and maimed innocent women and men, and kidnapped 240 men, women, and children to Gaza.
As these atrocities are conveniently ignored by the protesters, or being distorted in order to justify them or minimize their brutality, it is extremely important to become informed about what transpired that horrific day. A recommended starting place would on YouTube with Screams Before Silence, Sheryl Sandberg’s new documentary about the systematic sexual violence committed against Israeli girls and women.
Hamas has promised to repeat the October 7 massacre again and again, in line with its genocidal goals aimed at eliminating Israel and replacing it with an Islamist caliphate.
Hamas – the terror organization that perpetrated the October 7 massacre and atrocities, and has promised to repeat them – has been in control of the Gaza strip since violently taking it over from the Palestinian Authority in 2007. The October 7 attack started the current war and since then Israel has been forced to act to defend its citizens, bring the hostages home, and ensure that Hamas will not be able to keep its promise of repeating the October 7 massacre.
Hillel Newman is Diplomat, Historian & Skilled in Client Relations – former Consul General of Israel to Pacific South West Region of the USA and former Client Relations Manager for a corporate business entity