The chairman of the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center, Dani Dayan, has attributed the escalating levels of antisemitism and anti-Zionism to the inaction of administrators at Ivy League colleges and other institutions of higher learning. Dayan, who recently met with presidents, provosts, and deans from various East Coast colleges, including Columbia University and New York University, expressed concern over the presence of academics promoting inaccurate theories about Israel in these prestigious institutions. He highlighted the danger of these academics building pseudo-academic, pseudo-scientific, and pseudo-intellectual theories that justify the elimination of the Jewish state.
Dayan emphasized that these theories start with the demonization of Israel and eventually advocate for its elimination, which he considers to be a deeply antisemitic stance. He criticized the response of college administrators, who often cite freedom of speech and academic freedoms as justification for allowing such theories to circulate. Dayan questioned whether other controversial theories, such as those justifying blackface or ostracizing LGBTQ individuals, would receive the same protection under the First Amendment.
Drawing parallels to the rise of Nazism in Germany, Dayan warned that universities and intellectuals are not immune to developing theories that justify and advocate for atrocities. He pointed out that prestigious institutions like the University of Heidelberg in Germany played a role in promoting horrific theories of racial inferiority and supremacy before World War II. Dayan urged Western academic institutions to learn from history and take a principled stand against antisemitism, rather than merely reacting to external pressures.
While Dayan acknowledged that some measures have been taken by college administrators, such as banning anti-Israel groups on campuses, he argued that these actions are insufficient. He called for a deeper understanding of the root causes of antisemitism and a principled rejection of it from the administrators’ innermost convictions. Dayan expressed concern that the current response is primarily driven by external pressures, such as donor influence, rather than a genuine commitment to combating antisemitism.
In conclusion, Dayan stressed that addressing the rise in antisemitism on college campuses is an urgent and uphill battle. He emphasized the need for administrators to recognize the long-term consequences of allowing antisemitism to thrive and to take immediate action to combat it.
