On the front page of the April 26 Daily News, there was a photo taken at the University of Idaho of people holding a banner titled “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free.” This slogan, emblematic of the Islamic Resistance Movement known as Hamas, refers to the complete eradication of Israel from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea and replacing Israel with a Palestinian state. It unequivocally asserts Hamas’ longstanding commitment to achieving Jewish genocide through violent means.
The terrorist organization, Hamas, has a long history of targeting civilians to achieve political goals through tactics like suicide bombings and rocket attacks. These direct acts of terrorism have the goal of coercing and intimidating societies and governments. The group’s 1988 charter explicitly seeks the destruction of Israel and uses antisemitic language, framing the conflict in religious terms and rejecting peace negotiations. It calls for an Islamic state spanning Israel, the West Bank and Gaza with no Jews remaining.
That charter describes Palestine as an Islamic Waqf (holy possession) consecrated for Muslim generations until judgment day, asserting that no part can be renounced. The charter entirely rejects peace initiatives and asserts jihad as the only solution to the Palestinian issue, declaring it a duty for Muslims whenever their lands are usurped. Article Seven of their charter reinforces the group’s militant stance by anticipating an apocalyptic battle against Jews. Advocacy for jihad, the use violence to coerce societies and governments, and suicide bombings and rocket attacks aimed at civilians, unequivocally establish Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, I highlighted the misuse of “decolonization” rhetoric in U.S. academia which distorts historical and current geopolitical issues. College campuses are now hotbeds of anarchists, Marxists and revolutionaries. Groups support Hamas under the pretense of fighting oppression, twisting narratives to justify terrorism against Israeli civilians as a response to injustices. The widespread embrace of diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory simplistically divides humanity into oppressors and oppressed, pushing those at Columbia University and UCLA toward a singular, destructive response as terrorist sympathizers.
I emphasized the folly of equating legitimate defense with terrorism. Ideologies that obscure the distinction between justifiable military actions and random acts of violence only legitimize attacks on perceived oppressors, including Jewish students, and escalate malice like antisemitism framed as political protest. We urgently need to critically examine the narratives being promoted in higher education regarding conflict and justice.
In that October editorial, I explored the Christian just war theory, focusing on the moral grounds for war. Hamas’ attack, resulting in around 1,200 Israeli deaths and the kidnapping of 240, including children and the elderly, and committing atrocities such as slaughter and rape, provided Israel Jus ad Bellum: a clear warrant for a response.
Protesting the extent of Israel’s military response is not inherently antisemitic. However, American college anarchists and revolutionaries engaging in Marxist-driven occupy protests have crossed into antisemitism as they harass, intimidate and physically accost Jewish students under the guise of activism.
The internet is awash with videos showcasing raw antisemitism on college campuses across the country:
n At Columbia, demonstrators yelled at Jews to “go back to Poland.”
n At UCLA, masked activists blocked a student with a Star of David necklace from entering campus.
n A Jewish Harvard student was mobbed by demonstrators yelling “Shame, shame, shame,” while they surrounded him with keffiyehs.
n A Jewish professor at Columbia was denied campus entry because of safety concerns, while pro-Hamas protesters were allowed.
n Protesters targeted a student wearing a yarmulke at Columbia, declaring he was not welcome, while shouting out his name and student ID number.
Arrest records reveal that most anti-Israel campus protesters are not students, indicating the movement isn’t organic. According to NGO Monitor, radical pro-Palestinian groups have emerged as the vanguard of the demonstrations, closely coordinating with known antisemitic organizations linked to Hamas.
The uniformity of every occupy tent highlights the orchestrated nature of these demonstrations. Professional agitators like Lisa Fithian, a known political activist and protest consultant, were captured on video at NYC and Columbia’s Hamilton Hall, coaching what effectively amounts to a “rent-a-mob.”
The misuse of “decolonization” rhetoric in U.S. academia distorts both historical and current geopolitical realities. These narratives create campus environments ripe for anarchists, Marxists and revolutionaries who, under the guise of fighting oppression, justify terrorism and antisemitism.
Universities, as primary sources of diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory are unlikely to address the escalating antisemitism and extremism on campuses. This poses a significant challenge since these institutions are shaping a generation with skewed understandings of conflict and justice.
Courtney served 20 years as a nuclear engineering officer aboard submarines and 15 years as a graduate school instructor. He is a political independent who lives in Moscow.
