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Letter to the editor: Anti-semitism has many faces

The conversation surrounding anti-Semitism is not one-sided

Letter to the editor graphic

"Dear State Press, you've got mail." Illustration published on Friday, March 3, 2017.  


Sometimes when you tell lies often enough, people begin to think of them as truth. The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement is built on this philosophy. It paints a false portrait of Israel by accusing them of oppression, apartheid and genocide and circumvents the effort to call out actual human rights abuses. 

In fact, why is it that the world’s only Jewish state faces such libelous abuse when students don’t consider boycotting China for their treatment of Hong Kong, Syria for murdering their own citizens, or Iran which is the No.1 state sponsor of global terrorism? The answer is clear: It’s anti-Semitism.

While anti-Semitism runs rampant in far right circles, ever-prevalent anti-Semitism from the left is completely ignored underneath a guise of human rights. When discussing human rights, why don’t we document the atrocities of Hamas designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union?

Hamas indiscriminately launches thousands of rockets into Israeli civilian population centers from hospitals, expecting Israel to respond as any other sovereign nation would, with force. The Palestinian Liberation Organization continues to subsidize the families of terrorists who stab and kill innocent Jews. 

BDS paints the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a one-sided issue and fails to consider Israel’s numerous attempts at peace. When Israel disengaged from Gaza in 2005, forcibly removing thousands of its own citizens in order to trade land for peace, Israelis were immediately met with rocket fire from the coastal enclave.

Anti-Semitism exists in many forms. ASU recently experienced an example of white supremacist anti-Semitism this week. A “Love Not Hate" poster appeared on campus with a swastika replacing the “O” in Love and a Jewish star replacing the “A” in Hate. 

I later learned about another initiative designed to alienate Jewish students. The ASU chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine is "encouraging student clubs to sign a BDS resolution," because it’s obviously important that the Chess Club and Badminton Club weigh in on an international conflict.

ASU has historically been a safe and welcoming university for all its students. It’s why I decided to involve myself in social clubs and further continue my education. ASU is not a place for blind hate, and I think it’s important to recognize that our issues are few and far between.

However, the recent uptick in anti-Semitic activity is concerning. With the growing cases of anti-Semitic activity permeating college campuses across the country, the ASU administration needs to address all forms of anti-Semitism, right wing and left wing. 

I have faith that the student body will recognize this BDS initiative for what it is, blatant anti-Semitism, and that these incidents are just a small blip in an otherwise bright future.


Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this letter to the editor are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors. This letter to the editor was submitted by Jacob Ladin, a graduate student in the W.P. Carey MBA program.

Reach the author at jladin@asu.edu.

Want to join the conversation? Send an email to opiniondesk.statepress@gmail.com. Keep letters under 500 words and be sure to include your university affiliation. Anonymity will not be granted.

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