Animosity Against Jews Demonstrates Leftist Icon Greta Thunberg’s Extremism
Thunberg has translated her climate stardom to highlight something she cares about more than the planet these days: attacking Israel.Thunberg has translated her climate stardom to highlight something she cares about more than the planet these days: attacking Israel.Columbia defends letting professor who celebrated Hamas terrorist attacks teach course on Zionism
Columbia University, a hotbed of anti-Semitism and leftist extremism, will have a professor who celebrated the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks teach a course on Zionism in the new year.
Joseph Massad is a professor of modern Arab politics at Columbia University who has a special interest in "theories of nationalism, sexuality, race, and religion" and regularly contributes to the Middle East Eye, a radical blog apparently owned by a former official for both Al Jazeera in Qatar and the Hamas-affiliated al-Quds TV, Jamal Bessasso. Massad has also long contributed to the Electronic Intifada, a pro-Palestinian propaganda website.
On Oct. 8, 2023 — one day after Hamas terrorists massacred over 1,100 Israelis — Massad penned an article titled "Just another battle or the Palestinian war of liberation?" wherein he expressed amazement and apparent delight at the so-called "victories of the resistance."
"What can motorized paragliders do in the face of one of the most formidable militaries in the world? Apparently much in the hands of an innovative Palestinian resistance, which early on Saturday morning launched a surprise attack on Israel by air, land, and sea," wrote Massad. "Indeed, as stunning videos show, these paragliders have become the air force of the Palestinian resistance."
In addition to suggesting the terrorist attacks were provoked, Massad spoke highly of the terrorists' "success."
"Perhaps the major achievement of the resistance in the temporary takeover of these settler-colonies is the death blow to any confidence that Israeli colonists had in their military and its ability to protect them," continued the Columbia professor. "In the interest of safeguarding their lives and their children's future, the colonists' flight from these settlements may prove to be a permanent exodus. They may have finally realized that living on land stolen from another people will never make them safe."
At one stage in the article, Massad insinuated that the victims were "cruel colonizers" and stated, "The sight of the Palestinian resistance fighters storming Israeli checkpoints separating Gaza from Israel was astounding."
Whereas Massad described the terrorist attacks as "remarkable," "stunning," "striking," and "astounding," he referred to the Israeli response as "barbaric."
According to the university's directory of classes, Massad will teach a course on "the history of the Jewish Enlightenment (Haskala) in 19th century Europe and the development of Zionism through the current peace process between the state of Israel and the Arab states and the Palestinian national movement."
The listing further notes that the Hamas apologist will also provide "a historical overview of the Zionist-Palestinian conflict to familiarize undergraduates with the background of the current situation."
Nearly 50 students are already enrolled in the class, which is unsurprising granted the anti-Israel sentiment that abounds on campus.
Just last week, anti-Israel radicals marched around campus calling for a "free and liberated Palestine" and carrying banners that reportedly read, "Globalize the Intifada," and "Within Our Lifetime."
Blaze News previously reported that on the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, pro-Hamas protesters chanted, "Resistance is justified." One video of the demonstration showed protesters chanting, "One solution! Revolution!"
The university has apparently been reluctant to do anything meaningful to curb pro-terrorist sentiment on campus.
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce complained in August that the university had failed to expel any of the students responsible for the volatile demonstrations and encampment takeover in April, where Hamas-endorsed radicals illegally camped outside Columbia University for more than a week, destroying property, repeating genocidal rhetoric and demanding the institution divest from Israel.
'This would be akin to having a White Nationalist teach about the US Civil Rights movement.'
In the face of such unchecked extremism, one Jewish student tried to force Columbia's hand, filing a lawsuit accusing the university of allowing "a small group of fringe demonstrators to target Jewish students and faculty with harassment, hate speech, and violence for the sole reason that they are (or appear to be) Jewish." Columbia agreed to increase safety measures in June as part of a settlement.
The Israeli Embassy to the U.S. responded to the news of Massad's course, asking on X, "How many people has he already managed to indoctrinate?"
Amid backlash over the course, the university issued a statement Tuesday, denouncing his controversial comments but indicating he would teach the course anyway.
"Professor Massad's statements following the terrorist attack on October 7 created pain for many in our community and contributed to the deep controversy on our campus. We have consistently condemned any celebration or promotion of violence or terror," said the statement. "We remain committed to principles of free expression and the open exchange of viewpoints and perspectives through opportunities for constructive dialogue and understanding throughout our campus community, and we seek to provide a learning environment and classrooms that promote intellectual inquiry and analytical thinking along with civility, tolerance, and respect."
Columbia noted further that Massad's course is one of three that students can take next semester on the subject of Zionism and the history of Israel.
This did not sit well with Lawrence Rosenblatt, an adjunct professor of international and public affairs at Columbia, who submitted his resignation, reported the Jerusalem Post.
"I hereby resign my position as a member of the Columbia University faculty, effective immediately. I do so in response to learning (and seeing listed on the Columbia class registry) that a course on Zionism and the State of Israel will be taught this coming semester by Joseph A. Massad, who has advocated for the destruction of the State of Israel and celebrated the October 7 attacks," wrote Rosenblatt. "This would be akin to having a White Nationalist teach about the U.S. Civil Rights movement and the struggle for Black equality, or having a climate denier teach about the impact of global warming, or a misogynist teach about Feminism."
Rosenblatt, who was reportedly not scheduled to teach in the spring semester, noted that Massad is entitled to his opinions and has a right to express his opinion, but "Columbia has a responsibility to teach objectively and fairly."
"At best perhaps one could tolerate a class on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict co-taught from the many diverse Israeli and Palestinian perspectives, though not by someone who advocates for the eradication of a group of people. But that is not what is happening here," continued Rosenblatt. "Columbia has lost not only its moral compass, but its intellectual one."
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Voters beware: Centrist promises often mask a radical agenda
The “moderate Democrat” is like the tooth fairy — a feel-good fantasy you want to believe in but that doesn’t really exist.
Many reasonable people got excited when Rep. Seth Moulton’s post-election comments appeared in the New York Times, in which the Massachusetts Democrat and father of “two little girls” said he didn’t want them “getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete.”
Moderate Democrats are a relic of the past. A Tom Daschle or Joe Crowley could never get elected under today’s radicalized Democratic umbrella.
Yet for merely suggesting that Democrats should shift their messaging on transgenderism, Moulton drew swift condemnation, with Steve Kerrigan, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, strongly rebuking the congressman’s remarks.
But the truth is that Moulton is no level-headed classical liberal. He’s a pro-choice, pro-gun-control, pro-open-borders climate-change alarmist. He gets a lower score from the conservative Heritage Foundation than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).
Even so, Moulton was pilloried because admission to the liberal sanctum demands absolute ideological purity.
Similarly, laying the groundwork for a 2026 gubernatorial run, Bronx-area Rep. Ritchie Torres recently branded New York Governor Kathy Hochul as the “new Joe Biden.” He talks about her “failed leadership” but not her policies. Indeed, he says, “She’s well-intentioned but ineffective.”
The young lawmaker is merely masquerading as a moderate. This is a politically shrewd yet deceptive approach. It was only in 2022 when Torres supported granting citizenship and health care to all undocumented immigrants — a radical policy that is dangerous for all Americans.
Moderate Democrats are a relic of the past. A Tom Daschle or Joe Crowley could never get elected under today’s radicalized Democratic umbrella.
Take Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), a Jewish liberal darling who consistently touts his pro-Israel credentials when it’s politically expedient. He advanced Biden’s pressure campaign against Israel back in April over concerns about how “Israel has executed aspects of this war.”
And when lawmakers professing to be friends of Israel aren’t voting like far-left anti-Semites, they’re defending them.
Last year’s vote calling for the ouster of Ilhan Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee fell along party lines, with House Democrats, including Gottheimer and Torres, choosing to protect the Jew-hating politician.
No matter what these so-called moderates say, today’s Democratic Party has no space for tempered governance. Ultimately, the priority will always be to harness the party energy that still resides with progressives.
In the past, Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) declared his support for the Jewish state at major pro-Israel conferences held by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Today, Markey consistently votes to block to block arms sales to Israel during its war against genocidal terrorists.
But for voters, it’s better to know the truth.
A far-left progressive is a wolf in wolf’s clothing. A politician posturing as a centrist Democrat is merely a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
However twisted and abhorrent the policies may be, knowing what to expect from radical Rashida Tlaib offers more comfort than having hopes dashed by a squeamish Chuck Schumer. As well-intentioned liberals continue their false fixation on curating a moderate path for the party, the Democratic establishment is ensuring that politicians aiming to be sound stewards over progressive power elites are left marginalized.
It's unlikely that Democrats such as Torres would offer a real departure from the likes of Hochul and the progressives their party has helped popularize. The only question is whether voters will continue being duped by politicians who will, in the end, abandon any semblance of sanity due to the cannibalization of the Democratic Party by the left.
Our nation’s extraordinary challenges will not be solved by leaving critical decisions up to spineless lawmakers whose power depends on defaulting to the rising influential progressives in the party.
I used to believe in the tooth fairy, but then I turned 8. I’d like to believe today’s pseudo-centrist Democrats are sincere. But I woke up and there was nothing under the pillow.
The enemy from within: Mark Levin BLASTS Palestine supporters marching through Jewish neighborhood
All across the United States, pro-Palestinian protesters are continuing to organize marches to express solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, who they think are being victimized by the Israelis.
Some of these marches are taking place in Jewish neighborhoods with the intent of terrorizing innocent Jewish Americans.
Mark Levin plays a clip of one such march, during which the protesters were claiming that the streets belonged to them.
Although the footage is recent, it’s reminiscent of “Skokie, when the Nazis marched through a Jewish neighborhood in Chicago” in 1977, says Levin.
“Our nation's being populated with terrorist-supporting thugs like this. Our universities are graduating them, and they're being funded by foreign sources,” he says, calling it “the enemy within.”
“My great fear is that domestic terrorism will be on the rise,” Levin confesses, pointing to the “open border,” “the immigration policies of this current administration, and this homegrown crap” as the gasoline fueling the fire.
To see the harrowing footage of the march and hear more of Levin’s commentary, watch the clip above.
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