Will President Biden's Anti-Semitism Strategy Address Hate Speech at CUNY & Other College Campuses?

Earlier this month, the graduating class of City University of New York Law School was treated to a virulently anti-Semitic speech by Fatima Mohammed, a member of CUNY's Students for Justice in Palestine. 

During her incendiary remarks, Mohammed claimed, "Israel continues to indiscriminately rain bullets and bombs on worshipers, murdering the old, the young, attacking the funerals and graveyards as it encourages lynch mobs.”

In case she didn't make her anti-Semitism clear, Mohammed also claimed CUNY "trains IDF soldiers" and "committed to its donors, not its students."

Needless to say, this sort of speech is defamatory and is intended to promote hatred of Jews. So how will President Biden's National Strategy to Confront Anti-Semitism address the hatred spewed by the likes of Mohammed and those who support the BDS movement. It is a question well worth asking when we consider that Mohammed was elected by CUNY law students to be their convocation speaker. 

While President Biden's strategy calls upon colleges to "issue clear and unwavering statements condemning all forms of hate, including antisemitism, especially in the wake of antisemitic incidents". CUNY did just that - the day before Mohammed's speech. So long as anti-Semitic views are tolerated on campus such statements are utterly meaningless. Indeed, it is the second year in a row that CUNY Law's commencement speaker focused nearly all of her speech blaming Israel for all of the world's ills. If hate has no place at CUNY then they must not provide a platform for hate speech. 

Of course, there are those who will argue freedom of speech. But this argument rings hollow. I cannot see those who support Mohammed and BDS permitting a white supremacist from speaking on campus. This has nothing to do with freedom of speech. The aim and objective to other Jews by means of exclusion and intimidation all the while spreading Palestinian misinformation creating and exacerbating anti-Semitism.

Unfortunately, it appears that left-wing organizations unsympathetic towards Israel convinced the Biden Administration to turn a blind eye to the kind of hate speech which reared its ugly head at CUNY. All of which means we are going to see a lot more openly anti-Semitic convocation addressing college graduates. 

In which case, it will be only a matter of time before someone who listens to an anti-Semitic convocation speaker sees fit to commit a lethal attack against a Jewish organization much in the way the white supremacist who is currently standing trial for killing 11 Jews at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad President Biden is addressing anti-Semitism. But in order for his strategy to work his administration must address all sources of anti-Semitism.