The Enablers of Anti-Zionism
For two weeks, anti-Zionist agitators intent upon ending the “ongoing occupation of Palestine since 1948” turned Johns Hopkins University into the “The Free Palestine University.” What enabled these Israel haters to hijack JHU, dominate local news coverage and ultimately prevail in their demand that Hopkins consider divesting from Israel? The answer lies in a failure of resolve by multiple parties.
Johns Hopkins enabled the Israel haters by failing to enforce JHU’s Student Conduct Code, which prohibits conduct that disrupts or interferes with the orderly functioning of the University, the wrongful appropriation of university property and the failure to comply with the directions of university officials.
Mayor Brandon Scott enabled the Israel haters when he pathetically pronounced that “barring an escalation,” the police department would not disband the trespassers, even if asked to do so by the university.
Most egregiously, the Israel haters were enabled by the timidity and passivity of the leaders of the Baltimore Jewish community. While keffiyeh-wearing supporters of Hamas dominated the news coverage and extracted concessions from Hopkins, our communal leadership took no public action.
The Hopkins campus is now quiet, but anti-Israel agitation is likely to recur there and elsewhere. When that happens, it is incumbent upon our institutions and leaders to use the tools at their disposal to publicly confront the haters. Enablement is not an option.
Jay Bernstein
Baltimore
