Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) successfully passed the Freedom of Speech and Anti-Discrimination bylaw amendment on Wednesday, May 1. This bill seeks to prevent all students — especially women, racial minorities, and LGBTQ individuals — from any type of discrimination. Section 4.7.1.3 of the bill states that “neither the board nor...
Equal Tears for Jews in America and Israel
In the past two decades, some of the most prominent universities in the US have hosted their despicable apartheid weeks, an attempt to delegitimize the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in their historic homeland, on the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day. Berkeley’s Hatem Bazian initiated this horrendous tradition in 2002; it...
Israeli Apartheid Week Drives Divisiveness on Campus
Just like BDS, Israeli Apartheid Week has become a large part of the conversation about Israel on campuses across the country for many years. Similar to BDS (Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions), Israeli Apartheid Week is full of factually incorrect and misleading information. Israeli Apartheid Week was brought to our campus...
“The Running of the Zionist”
We do not have to account to anybody, we are not to sit for anybody’s examination and nobody is old enough to call on us to answer. We came before them and will leave after them. Ze’ev Jabotinsky, Instead of Excessive Apology (1911) March 3, 2019, would appear to be...
Discrimination at the Temple Mount
While the rising conflict at the Temple Mount may be half a world away for Western civilization, the conflict prevails to be more relatable than it appears. The Temple Mount remains a holy site for Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Although all three groups want access to the holy site for...
Deconstructing ‘Pinkwashing’ in the Middle East
Bigotry never dies. Just as Hercules cut off Hydra’s head only to see it replaced by two more, the anti-Israel movement continues to morph into new forms of ignorance every time that it’s debunked by its greatest adversary: the factual truth. In discussions about Israel and the Middle East that...
An Open Letter on Israeli ‘Pinkwashing’ and True Discrimination Against the Arab Gay Community
The signatories of this letter seek to address an open letter sent to Eurovision’s Irish entrant, Sarah McTernan. The letter, signed by individuals such as David Norris and Ailbhe Smith, asks Ms. McTernan not to aid in Israel’s “pinkwashing” tactics. The Ireland Israel Alliance is saddened by the bullying that Sarah McTernan...
Will UMass Support Viewpoint Diversity or Political Propaganda?
On May 4, a panel entitled “Not Backing Down: Israel, Free Speech, and the Battle for Palestinian Human Rights” will be held at the University of Massachusetts. This panel, which was organized by the Media Education Foundation, seems to be designed to influence students into supporting a one-sided message against Israel....