SHABBAT CHOL HAMOED PESACH 5784

Today’s Protestors are not Just Dangerous and Antisemitic. They’re Also Phony

Passover is the holiday that celebrates liberation—the liberation of the ancient Israelites from Egyptian slavery. It’s a story has inspired countless liberation movements ever since. It tells us that we must rise up in the face of oppression whenever and wherever it raises its ugly head.

Today a new liberation movement has arisen that’s not only dangerous and antisemitic, but also phony. What we see in protests on elite campuses and in American cities are not justice warriors who want peace in Gaza. They are blowhards  pretending to be rebels picking on the world’s easiest target—Jews! What started several months ago with calls for a ceasefire in Gaza has morphed into rabid protests against … against what?

Certainly NOT the war in Gaza. Israeli troops have evacuated most of Gaza; humanitarian aid has been flowing in; and while Benjamin Netanyahu keeps promising that the IDF will enter Rafah, his restraint speaks loudly. In fact, one can argue that the ugliest thing happening in Gaza right now is the continuing horror of 132 terrified hostages being held captive for over 200 days by Hamas. So, if you’re a college student looking for a noble cause, I can think of no cause more noble than “Let the Hostages Go!”

It’s not enough to perform justice—to set up tents and play drums and wear keffiyehs and yell “globalize the Intifada” and throw temper tantrums trying to convince the world there’s no country worse than Israel. To come across as authentic, you must have a minimal level of credibility.

These Israel-hating groups lost their credibility right after Hamas murdered, mutilated, raped and burned alive 1200 Israelis on Oct. 7—before the war in Gaza started. Instead of condemning the carnage, they brazenly defended it in the name of “resistance” and “liberation.”

The protests now roiling our campuses and terrifying Jewish students have never been about a war or about helping the Palestinians. If they really cared about the plight of Palestinians, where were they for decades while Palestinians suffered their worst oppression in Jordan and Lebanon? If they truly cared about justice, they might have paid more attention to the millions of refugees living in misery and hunger in places like Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Ethiopia and Iraq.

Instead, they have directed their fury at Jewish students at elite universities (who live 6,000 miles away from Israel), and at their university administrations who are afraid to take them on, at America, at law enforcement, at Zionists, at anyone not buying their self-righteous rebel act.

As we confront this frenzy of hate, let’s not overlook their hypocrisy and their phoniness. Exactly who are these protesters? 1^st of all, a good number of them are foreign students on campus from countries that oppose the Jewish State. They have attracted many innocent American students because they made the protests seem cool. But talk to them and you will quickly see they’re not really clear on the facts like Hamas raping Israeli women and killing Israeli children … like Hamas calling for the destruction of the Jewish State and all its Jews.

According to Michael Oren, former Israel ambassador to the US, Arab state Qatar funds American universities to the tune of billions of dollars, creating a very friendly anti-Israel atmosphere. And these demonstrations would never have gotten very far without a cadre of professional protestors directing them.

Brooke Goldstein, executive director of The Lawfare Project, notes: “How is this happening and how is it that they are so coordinated? They’re all chanting the same slogans. Who is paying for the buses? Who is paying for the private planes that are bringing in the outside agitators?”

On Thursday, the Wall St. Journal reported that 2 of America’s largest philanthropic foundations are supporting groups that have sent PAID anti-Israel activists—who know how to rial up a crowd and manipulate the media—to help lead and program these protests across the country. These are the same people who helped organize some of the BLM demonstrations. Who are these foundations? No surprise: George and Alexander Soros’s Open Society Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund!

Now that the truth is being revealed, what can we do? We need to be vigilant and active in support of Israel and in opposition to antisemitism whenever it raises its ugly head. Whenever you hear someone speak ill of Israel or the Jewish people, say something—defend your people. Write to your politicians. I’ve told you about a WhatsApp group I learned from Cheryl, “Students for Jewish Advocacy,” where you can easily send letters for Jewish causes with a simple click or 2 on your phone. I included the link again in my Friday email. [Here it is again: https://chat.whatsapp.com/LSIUG4s3gWUJ7PDlMudBdY]

Let me introduce to someone who does stand up for his people—my dear friend Dr. Barry Zisholtz, or as he is affectionately called, “Dr. Z.” Dr. Z is a prominent surgeon with a stellar career that includes being Chief of Surgery and Chief of Staff at Southern Medical Center. He retired last October and found another way to bring light and healing into the world.

He discovered that his representative in the Georgia State house—Imani Barnes—appears to be antisemitic and anti-Israel. So, now that he’s got more time on his hands, he felt he must do something. He then decided to run against her. Now Dr. Z knows very little about politics. It’s a long shot, an uphill battle because she is a Democrat in the very Democrat District 86, and he must run as a Republican.

Barry could have easily have begun his retirement playing pickleball and watching his grandchildren—who are amazing. But that’s not his way. He was never one to sit back and let others do what is needed. There are many stories as to what he has done for the Jewish people that haven’t yet been told. Barry, you are an inspiration. You truly embody the Passover call to stand up to evil. Please come up, share some of your story and inspire us all.