Hosting antisemites on college campuses endangers students

(JNS) — U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, widely known for her antisemitic and anti-Israel views, recently visited the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her presence raised significant concerns in Jewish societies and the wider Jewish community as her previous so-called lectures have gathered dozens of radicalized youths who often wage a campus war on Jewish and Zionist students. 

Albanese is a proud supporter of antisemitic mobs who proudly deny Israel’s right to exist, as well as an outspoken “critic” of the world’s only Jewish state. Among many controversially antisemitic statements she has made, Albanese’s claim that  “America is subjugated by the Jewish lobby” remains one of the most disturbing. Despite being a presumed expert in international law, she seems to be puzzled when it comes to recognizing Israel’s right to self-defense under U.N. Charter Article 51.

Having someone as controversial as Albanese speak on campus poses a peril to Jewish students. 

Universities have long held double standards when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Not only Israel is misunderstood in academia but is depicted as an aggressor; in reality, the nation is the target of racial hatred from Islamists. Israel suffered greatly (and is still suffering with nearly 100 hostages still being held captive in Gaza) from the brutal assaults on Oct. 7, 2023, yet almost immediately afterward, students were waving Palestinian and even Hamas flags in solidarity with the terrorists in the Gaza Strip.

Giving platforms to Albanese and others with similar views is just the visible part of the iceberg. The rhetoric used by such antisemites ignites unchecked and uncontrolled antisemitism on university campuses.

The situation at Exeter University in Britain serves as a reminder of the real dangers posed by unregulated “freedom of expression” that leads to violence. Less than a year ago, Jewish and Zionist students set up a pro-Israel display and were surrounded by 100 Palestinian supporters who shouted at them and threw objects. The attack occurred in daylight, highlighting a growing climate of hostility toward Jewish students.

In another instance, the Hillel house at the University of Leeds was defaced by pro-Palestinian protesters last February. Instead of taking drastic measures to wipe out antisemitic encampments on campus, the universities, created a “safe environment” for these vandals to openly say that they would be back next academic year to achieve their goals. 

While at King’s College London, a lecture by dual Israeli-British citizen Ely Lassman was canceled after he received death threats because of his Israeli and Jewish background, and service in the Israel Defense Forces.

Such incidents are not isolated as they are the result of a larger trend in which antisemitic views are increasingly tolerated, even encouraged, in certain circles. Perhaps just as concerning as the actions of the anti-Israel contingent is the fact that universities do not hold students accountable for their antisemitism.

Some may argue that Albanese is a prominent scholar of international law and a lifelong servant of the United Nations, yet it was lawyers and judges in Germany—people like Werner Best and Franz Schlegelberger—whose laws and antisemitic views played a pivotal role in murdering 6 million Jews during World War II and the Holocaust.

Today, Albanese and others repeat the same dire mistakes of the past, accusing Jews of things they did not do. It is the same old antisemitism with a new name: “anti-Zionism.”