Violent attacks on Jews escalate as Trump Administration confronts universities over visas and funding. ‘Genocide’ claims explode as Israel remains focus in local politics.

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Introduction

The Spring semester has ended with higher education in upheaval. The political and economic relationships with the Federal government which prevailed since World War II are now rapidly changing with billions of taxpayer funding frozen or and foreign student visas on hold. Along with overt racial discrimination the final spark that set the relationship ablaze was academia’s treatment of Jews and Israel after October 7. Leading universities have begun to make practical concessions and adjustments to new political realities in the areas of funding and governance, as well as demographic change and public loss of confidence. But little has been done to rectify how Jews are treated on campus by fellow students and more importantly, villainized by curriculums and faculty hatred of the Original Sin of Jewish (and American) nationalism and ‘white supremacy’ propelled by post-colonial guilt. Eradicating these pernicious ideas, defended under doctrines of free speech and academic freedom, is a far longer project. Underlying the problems of antisemitism and DEI, which have moved from academia into society, is the question of who sets the narratives and agendas for the United States.

Editor’s Note

The enormous growth of BDS-related antisemitism since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack has required the BDS Monitor to be greatly expanded as a tool for documentation. Readers are reminded that a shortened version appears in The Algemeiner.

Attacks/Protests

A number of ‘Nakba Day’ protests were held at universities including at Trinity College (Cambridge) and Tel Aviv University, and across major cities including New York and London.

Security precautions for Jewish communities and institutions were heightened after the Washington, D.C. murders. Even prior to this Birmingham University’s Hillel house announced it would apply for permission construct a large fence around its property as protection from antisemitic protests and attacks.

In an especially disturbing development, a local Michigan judge considered ordering the state’s gay and Jewish Attorney General, Dana Nessel, to recuse herself from prosecuting pro-Hamas trespassers at the University of Michigan because of allegations that she is biased against Arabs and Muslims made in a separate case.

An assistant Attorney General’s statement regarding Nessel in an electoral fraud case against members of the all-Muslim city council in Hamtramck noted there had been unfounded allegations that Nessel was biased against Arabs and Muslims. Defense attorneys in the trespass case then filed for Nessel’s recusal and pointed to a statement she had made in opposition to the phrase ‘from the river to the sea…’ as evidence of her bias. Nessel then dropped the trespass charges blaming court delays and the “circus-like atmosphere created by the accusations of bias and recusal motion. Left wing media, notably the Forward, blamed the local Jewish Community Relations Council’s support for Nessel for tainting the case.

Politics

While the Trump Administration continues to highlight antisemitism in its confrontations with academia, its efforts to root out racial and gender discrimination built into DEI structures, and its broad political and economic confrontations with China are also key factors.

The announcement the US was pausing processing of all student visas to allow assessment of applicants’ social media postings targeted a central pillar of the higher education industrial complex, the approximately 1.1 million foreign students in the US. Foreign students who mostly pay full tuition are critical to the funding of colleges and universities and supply a significant portion of the industry’s undergraduate teaching and research manpower. The percentage of foreign students at US institutions ranges as high as 51% at the Illinois Institute of Technology and 44% at Carnegie Mellon University.

The Trump Administration also continues to target leading institutions, above all Harvard and Columbia, with funding cuts and other restrictions over their refusal to rapidly address new mandates regarding the eradication of DEI politics and campus antisemitism.

Other leading institutions including Vanderbilt University and Dartmouth College, which have explicitly adopted positions defending free speech as well as maintained campus safety and civility, and have not been the focus of Administration. Similarly, conciliatory statements from university presidents such as Christina Paxson of Brown appear explicitly designed to stave off political pressures.

The contrasting responses and subsequent treatment of the Harvard and Columbia arguably reflect a fundamental reset in power relations between the Federal government, which has funded higher education through research grants and student loans since the end of World War II, and universities, that in the 21st century have refashioned themselves as global institutions to broaden their influence and donor base.

Columbia appears to be moving gradually towards accommodating government demands. Early in May the Administration proposed a consent decree that would place Columbia under judicial supervision. Negotiations are reportedly ongoing. Late in May the Department of Health and Human Services ruled that Columbia had violated the civil rights of Jewish students under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Acting president Claire Shipman quickly responded that while “we disagree with the government’s conclusion, we are continuing to engage in a thoughtful and constructive manner in addressing these serious issues,” and pointed to the additional over 100 public safety officers, enhanced campus surveillance and other changes.

In the case of Harvard, the university has remained defiant in the face of Administration demands to eliminate DEI programs (which have been shown to be far more extensive than previously admitted), create mechanisms for viewpoint diversity, control antisemitic elements on campus including student groups, and in spite of the institution’s publication of the long-delayed report detailing the extent of campus antisemitism. As a result previously frozen Federal grants totaling some $2.2 billion have now been canceled including many in the health and medical fields. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon also warned the institution not to apply for Federal funds.

Late in the month the battle escalated between the Federal government and Harvard. In a series of letters the Federal government demanded information regarding foreign student involvement in known illegal activity, threats to other students, and deprivation of others’ rights by foreign students, including video surveillance evidence and records.

Deeming the university’s response inadequate, the university’s ability to enroll foreign students was then suspended by the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem who stated “This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.”

When the move was blocked by a court the Federal government withdrew the order and gave Harvard 30 days to comply.

 Foreign students comprise 27.2% of Harvard’s total enrollment. Foreign students presently enrolled would be required to transfer to other institutions and reports indicate they are actively doing so. Additional reports indicate the Administration intends to cancel all remaining grants to Harvard.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stated that the Department of Homeland Security would “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.” Revoking institutional access to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification program which issues and tracks student visas was temporarily blocked by a court.

The legality of the Trump Administration’s moves have been challenged in court but the overall effect, in terms of singling out Ivy League universities in order to pressure the higher education industry as a whole, has tarnished their brands and forced rapid financial adjustments including taking on billions in debt. The cancelation of billions of dollars in grants revealed both their existence to the public and the sector’s dependence on Federal funding, as well as the industry’s dependence on approximately one million foreign students.

Observers note that even if courts rule in its favor Harvard has few options that will restore both funding and predictability. Supporters have responded that the Administration moves will damage America as a whole by driving the “best and the brightest” to foreign institutions, retarding American scientific and technological innovation, and benefiting China in particular. Defenders of the Administration point to, among other things, the opportunity costs of depriving American students of positions at American universities.

Reports also indicate the Trump Administration is examining the university accreditation system as a means of exerting more control over higher education as a whole. In response, some universities, such as the University of North Carolina, have suggested setting up their own accreditation agencies in association with other institutions in order to circumvent regulation.

Administration efforts to remove foreign students who support Hamas and advocate for revolution against the US have been stymied by court orders. Most key individuals targeted by an early wave of deportation orders have been freed by courts including professional Palestinian organizer Mohsen Mahdawi. Unconfirmed reports also suggest that the Federal government is planning to re-detain many students.

The celebration of these individuals by the media and leading Democrats remains part of the broad reflexive opposition to any and all Trump Administration policies. Numerous Executive Branch actions on issues such as illegal immigration and tariffs have already been challenged by local courts, many of which have claimed national jurisdiction and deployed novel and sometimes preposterous legal reasoning.

Congress is also deeply engaged in resetting the overall relationship between the Federal government and higher education, with antisemitism as a key focus. Hearings by the Senate HELP committee featured testimony from several college presidents who were questioned intensely by Republicans while Democrats excoriated the Trump Administration. Pushback against the Congressional hearings came from higher education industry representatives who complained about Republicans ‘persecuting’ college presidents over ‘weaponized’ antisemitism.

Under Republican leadership Congress is also resetting the parameters of Federal funding for higher education. One of the provisions of narrowly approved reconciliation bill raises the college endowment tax. The current rate of 1.7% applies to institutions whose endowments are valued at $500,000 or more per student. Under the new bill the rate would rise to 21%, with the number of institutions affected expanding from approximately 50 since foreign students would no longer be counted.

Other provisions would also see institutions taxed for royalties from licensing of names and logos and revise the student loan system including charging institutions a fee on unpaid loans. The bill now moves to the Senate. Additional legislation proposes to raise taxes on large philanthropic foundations, many of which, like the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, have funded DEI and BDS initiatives. A statement of solidarity with Harvard from over 100 non-profits, including many dedicated to BDS, also expressed fear that the Federal government’s targeting of the university would quickly turn against their sector.

The higher education industrial complex continues to complain about Federal cuts and pressure. One letter from 50 academic and professional organizations complained that the “common understanding of the vital role colleges and universities play in advancing the social, cultural, and economic well-being of the United States” was “dangerously disrupted when billions of dollars in funding for education and competitively awarded research grants are held hostage for political reasons and without due process.”

A recent poll, however, indicates that significant numbers of Americans hold negative views of Ivy League institutions, suggesting that the elite sector of the industry has little social capital. But concerns remain that continued Administration emphasis on antisemitism, along with DEI and resulting discrimination policies, will generate resentment and antisemitism as Jews are blamed for the ‘collapse of science’ and ‘destruction of universities.’ This was reflected in a media campaign focusing on Jewish leaders, primarily of legacy groups, opposed to the Administration strategy in the name of ‘defending Democratic norms.’

The deepening hostility towards Israel within the Democratic Party was demonstrated by renewed legislative efforts to mark May 14 – Israel Independence Day – as ‘Nakba Day,’ and in legislation aimed at Israeli ‘settlers’ that would sanction “any foreign person endangering United States national security and undermining prospects for a two-state solution by committing illegal violent acts.”

Additional hostility was reflected in a letter from 96 House Democrats to Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter demanding that aid be restored to Gaza and warning that the blockade “is a stain on Israel’s international reputation, that jeopardizes efforts to normalize relations with neighboring Arab states, who have condemned this action.” The bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act was also derailed by opposition from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) who introduced poison pill amendments.

Another sign of the hostility towards Israel have been coordinated media attacks on Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) purporting to detail his declining mental health and unsuitability for office after suffering a stroke in 2022. Within two weeks hit pieces appeared in the New York Times, New Republic, and New York Magazine and quoted frustrated and fearful staffers regarding Fetterman’s fitness, themes that were immediately echoed in other media.

At the time of his stroke media had been entirely supportive of Fetterman and dismissed concerns regarding his mental and overall health. His vocal support for Israel after the Hamas attack of October 7 shifted attitudes toward him within the Democratic Party and its media wings.

Israel also remains a central issue in New York City politics. The main focus of far left candidates remains forcing the frontrunner, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, out of the race. In a controversial move, far left candidate and state assembly member Zohran Mamdani refused to sign resolutions condemning the Holocaust and in support of Israel. Mamdani, a Democratic Socialists of America member, has also declined to endorse the existence of Israel as a Jewish state.

In response, the New York Times published a long defense of Mamdani and attacks on Cuomo. The piece was one of a series touting the socialist candidate, who has deemed Israel guilty of ‘genocide’ and promised among other things to open city-run grocery stores. A shock poll showed Mamdani closing in on Cuomo prior to the June primary.

In contrast, embattled incumbent mayor Eric Adams signed an agreement with Israeli representatives to create a New York City-Israel Economic Council. The council, first proposed in 2023 would facilitate, business contacts. Adams also created a new city office to combat antisemitism.

 In Pittsburgh, where multiple attempts have been made to force the city to adopt BDS, progressive incumbent Mayor Ed Gainey was defeated in the Democratic primary by centrist Corey O’Connor. The outcome in Pittsburgh, as well as in recent Oakland and San Francisco mayor votes, and suggests that some traditional Democratic strongholds where progressive control has resulted in declining quality of life and the centering of anti-Israel politics may be reverting to centrist approaches.

Progressive control of city councils, however, as in New York City and many other cities means that anti-Israel politics will be perpetuated. One example is the decision by the Providence (RI) City Council to raise the Palestinian flag in honor of ‘Nakba Day’ while the city’s mayor was visiting Israel. The incident is another indication of the extent to which local politics have been overtaken by Palestinian narratives.

In the international sphere, the recent Canadian and Australian elections returned incumbent left wing governments to power. Both countries responded weakly to October 7th and have done little to stem rapidly rising far left and Muslim antisemitism. The Spanish Prime Minister, socialist Pedro Sánchez, also stated in parliament that “we do not do business with a genocidal state.”

In Canada Muslim protestors targeting Jewish neighborhoods and institutions have become commonplace. It was also revealed that the Canadian government had hired a British contractor to monitor social media for signs of opposition to pro-Hamas protests, which were then deemed indicative of ‘right wing extremism.’ During the election, however, most down ticket “Vote Palestine” candidates were defeated.

In Australia, the reelected government reshuffled the cabinet, removing two of the most vociferous Israel critics. Parliamentary inquiries into antisemitism, however, were hijacked by left wing Jewish groups who demanded that Hamas and Hezbollah were not antisemitic groups.

Separately, Britain, France and Canada have threatened sanctions against Israel if military operations continue to expand in Gaza. Unusually, newly elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that country was also debating the extent of its arms sales to Israel. Britain suspended negotiations over a free trade agreement and imposed additional sanctions on Israeli residents of the West Bank. For its part the relentlessly hostile Irish government again announced it would seek to broaden the definition of genocide to include Israel’s war on Hamas in the Geneva Conventions (where no such definition exists). Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin also accused Israel of ‘engineering a campaign against Ireland’ in the US.

Other European governments also have returned to threatening review of Israel’s Association Agreement with the European Union and its participation in the Horizon Europe science program. Sweden, the Netherlands, and France have called for the agreement to be reviewed in response to public pressure from Muslim and left wing parties. The agreement covers trade and tariffs, scientific and student exchanges, and other programs which facilitate Israel’s integration into Europe. The Netherlands has also stated it will veto renewal of the cooperation agreement until aid to Gaza is restored. Separately, the German Office for the Protection of the Constitution declared that the BDS movement was “hostile to the Constitution.”

Elsewhere, the scandal surrounding the ‘International Criminal Court’ (ICC) indictment of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli politicians expanded dramatically with revelations regarding allegations of rape and extortion against lead prosecutor, Karim Khan. An investigation showed that Khan had repeatedly raped a subordinate whom he then pressured into silence claiming that her complaints could jeopardize the indictment of Netanyahu, saying “Think about the Palestinian arrest warrants.”

Khan’s announcement of the Netanyahu indictment appears to have been timed to forestall an investigation of his misdeeds. Additional reports indicate that Khan and the ICC were preparing arrest warrants for Israeli cabinet ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, accusing them of “war crimes” in connection with construction of Jewish communities in the West Bank.

University Administrations

University administrations continue attempts to balance a dramatically new Federal funding structure, pressures from faculty to ‘resist’ the Trump Administration, maintain research funding, and to ensure campus life is not excessively disrupted by pro-Hamas protests. Enforcing time, place, and manner rules and disciplinary procedures have been especially unpopular with faculty. Encampments and campus protests were quickly addressed in May, while hunger strikes were not legitimized by administration interventions.

The divide between university leaders who have joined the ‘resistance’ and those who have not has created conflict between institutions and with faculty members. Scattered reports indicate rising anger against anti-Israel factions among faculty who have had grants canceled. Other reports regarding faculty sentiment reflect some recognition that, as an unnamed UC Berkeley faculty member put it “Universities are under attack (often by idiots), but they deserve it and should get their houses in order.”

While divestment directly from Israel appears to be dead at major institutions, most recently at Dartmouth College, several, including the University of San Francisco and San Francisco State University, have announced they are divesting from ‘weapons manufacturers’ as part of agreements with pro-Hamas students. The University of San Francisco, however, denied the decision was in any way connected to Israel. King’s College, University of Cambridge, announced it will also divest from companies “involved in activities generally recognised as illegal or contravening global norms, such as occupation.”

Federal pressure on higher education regarding antisemitism, DEI, and indirect costs is having an immediate effect on finances. Several institutions including Harvard University have announced they would be providing bridge funding for research. In addition to previously announced efforts to raise funds with loans and bonds, a number of universities have also announced hiring freezes, leadership salary cuts, staff and faculty buyouts, and layoffs.

Public and private universities including University of Maryland, Baltimore, George Washington University, Duke University, Princeton University, the University of Oregon, and Harvard University have warned or announced plans to reduce staffing ostensibly as a result of Federal cuts. At present, however, there do not appear to be plans to comprehensively address administrative bloat and outsized executive compensation.

Universities are also being forced to make significant changes as a result of forces outside of politics. Prior to the Trump Administration the University of California and California State University systems were already facing an 8% reduction in state funding but after pleas from university leaders this was reduced to only 3%. The Pennsylvania State University has also announced plans to close seven branch campuses as a result of dropping enrollments and decreased state aid. More broadly the impacts of college closings are being felt particularly in towns where higher education is the primary industry.

Faculty

As the immense confrontation between the Trump Administration and the higher education industrial complex unfolds, faculty find themselves trapped. The majority of faculty who are not pro-Palestinian much less overt Hamas supporters have been tarred by their ideologically committed colleagues, as have scientists who have found their funding and student staffing destroyed.

Professional organizations such as the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) have been rebuilt as left wing pressure groups which now give credence to far left factions explicitly in support of Hamas, its “political motivated attack,” and “revolt against the seventeen year blockage.” Other professional organizations, such as the American Psychological Association, are suffused with antisemitism and anti-Israel bias to the point where they have now attracted political attention.

This ‘Two Cultures’ problem (a term created by English writer and chemist C.P. Snow to describe the intellectual and social divides between the sciences and humanities) is now at play on American campuses. The near uniformly liberal orientation of all faculty members and desire not to appear complicit or capitulant to the Trump Administration hampers further an internal reckoning over the values and direction of higher education as a whole, whether these will be purely ideological or broadly scientific.

Faculty groups continue to provide largely anonymous support for pro-Hamas protestors and anti-Israel policies:

Also in contrast to university administrations, faculty-led groups have also rewarded student protestors. In one example two Harvard Law School students who had assaulted a Jewish student were awarded fellowships while other anti-Israel students were recommended for Rhodes and Truman scholarships. Also at Harvard an honorary degree was awarded to Berkeley faculty member and BDS supporter Elaine Kim.

As part of deals extorted by student protests in 2024, faculty units have also expanded their pro-Hamas rosters with Palestinian ‘faculty at risk’ as well as with Palestinian students, the addition of ‘Palestinian studies,’ and additional resources for Muslim students. At Northwestern University, for example, Gazan political scientist Mkhaimar Abusada is also associated with ‘human rights’ organizations linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

In parallel, reports continue to appear regarding the pervasiveness of anti-Israel bias in British university classrooms and the systematic purging of Jewish adjuncts from the City University of New York’s accounting department. These and other incidents indicate that disparate faculty members have continued or even intensified both anti-Israel and antisemitic efforts in spire of media and Federal scrutiny.

Students

Students continued to protest against Israel with particular emphasis on the anniversaries of 2024 encampments and ‘Nakba Day.’ One protest strategy that has reemerged are hunger strikes by students and faculty, including at Stanford University, Yale University, Occidental College, Cal State Long Beach, and San Francisco State University. Participants requested and received meetings with administrators at several institutions but most institutions were clear that they would not make policy changes. A number of encampments were also launched including at Swarthmore College, Johns Hopkins University, UCLA, Kings College London, and Magdalen College (Oxford). A number of ‘Nakba Day’ protests were also held, including at UCLA, where several arrests were made.

As has been the norm in previous years, commencements were the scene of pro-Hamas protests. Columbia students drowned out president Claire Shipman’s remarks, including favorable comments regarding detained student Mahmoud Khalil, which produced angry jeers from the crowd. Later several students burned their diplomas. Two students were arrested. Barnard College president Laura Rosenbury was jeered by graduates who shouted “shame.” Graduates at many institutions waved Palestinian flags and jeered, including at Brooklyn College.

In another notable case at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study the student commencement speaker deviated from the speech he had originally submitted and excoriated the US and Israel saying “I want to say that the genocide currently occurring is supported politically and militarily by the United States, is paid for by our tax dollars, and has been live streamed to our phones for the past 18 months.” Students applauded the speech and the university stated the student “lied about the speech he was going to deliver and violated the commitment he made to comply with our rules.” It then withheld his diploma.

Other students deviated from approved remarks and called for divestment and accused Israel of ‘genocide’ and their schools of ‘complicity’ in their commencement speeches, such as at MIT and George Washington University. Disruptions were reported at City University of New York, Columbia University and Rutgers University, while faculty members dressed in keffiyehs and gags at New York University and the University of Southern California.

Another commencement related incident saw Salman Rushdie, who was almost murdered by a Palestinian protestor in 2022, withdraw as commencement speaker at Claremont McKenna College after complaints by the local CAIR branch and threats to protest by the schools Muslim Student Association.

Students who had been detained for deportation have been the subject of continual laudatory mainstream media attention which have emphasized their sincerity and innocence. Professional organizer Mohsen Mahdawi in particular was the subject of numerous profiles. Revelations that police reports showed Mahdawi had bragged to neighbors about building guns for terrorists and stated that he “liked to kill Jews” were quickly ignored by mainstream media.

Elsewhere, students at the University of Sydney voted in a forum called by the student assembly to condemn the university for adopting the IHRA definition and to demand “a single democratic, secular state across all of historic Palestine, from the river to the sea.” At one point 200 students stood and turned their backs to a Jewish speaker who said “We need your help… you’re meant to stand for solidarity for minority groups on campus.” In contrast, a BDS resolution at the University of California Irvine student government was postponed indefinitely.

Non-binding statements condemning Israel continue to be proposed by pro-Hamas student groups, including at Manchester University where the ‘Friends of Palestine’ group’s motion accusing Israel of being “an apartheid settler-colonial state committing ongoing genocide against Palestinians” and endorsing “as an occupied nation, the people of Palestine have the right to armed resistance under international law.” After legal pressure noting that “armed resistance” constituted terrorism the motion was withdrawn.

K-12

Anti-Israel bias and overt antisemitism continues to be integrated into K-12 education through teachers’ unions and ‘ethnic studies.’ The continued promotion of ‘anti-Palestinian racism’ as the pinnacle of intersectionalism is an especially ominous development. The concept, which sacralizes Palestinian narratives regarding ‘nakba’ and Israeli evil, and makes factual counternarratives and potentially Jewish expressions of identity and belief illegal on the basis of hurt feelings, is now official policy in Toronto public schools.

A variety of reports have shown how radical Muslim, black and left wing teachers in Philadelphia public schools have systematically dominated teacher training and curriculum development in the name of ‘racial justice,’ and against Israel and Jews. Configuring K-12 education as a tool for ‘struggle’ and ‘revolution’ against ‘white supremacy’ (defined to include Jews), is coupled with more basic goals of expanding funding for unionized public education and removing educational standards in the name of ‘equity,’ for example in grading.

The role of teachers’ unions in promoting ‘Palestine’ as a core principle, arguably to disguise institutional failure and undermine social cohesion, is most developed in Britain. There the National Education Union has been at the forefront of anti-Israel organizing with ‘days of action,’ workshops to “advocate for Palestine in our schools,” celebrating ‘Nakba Day,’ circulating BDS petitions, all ostensibly aimed at teachers rather than students. In reality, reports continue to document how teacher routinely indoctrinate students against Israel and Jews both inside and outside classrooms, employing crude and vicious terms such as “ZioNazis.”

In the US local teachers’ unions such as the Beaverton Education Association and internal affinity groups such as “NY Educators for Palestine” and “Teaching While Muslim” continue to push indoctrination efforts such as “Teach Palestine Week.” These efforts routinely link ‘Palestine’ with American tropes such as ‘Ferguson.’ At the national level, the ‘Democratic Socialists of America’ is currently running several candidates for the leadership of the United Federation of Teachers.’ Should this national organization be fully taken over by anti-Israel and anti-American leadership pervasive emphases on ‘Palestine’ as seen Britain will be further institutionalized.

Local pushback against teachers’ unions, such as in Massachusetts, has had limited impact, since unions operate with impunity. Control of oversight institutions such as school boards has become critical, since these too are routinely taken over by BDS supporters. In an unusual outcome, in the New Rochelle (NY) school board vote a progressive candidate endorsed by former Congressman Jamaal Bowman lost resoundingly to both another black candidate and Jewish candidates. She then blamed anti-blackness” and her support for ‘Gaza.’ Jewish and centrist voters had mobilized vigorously against her on the basis of Bowman’s endorsement.

Economics

The most significant development in the economic sphere was the announcement that the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund would sell all its shares of Paz Retail and Energy due to the Israeli company’s operations in the West Bank. The Norwegian fund is the world’s largest.

Attacks on Israel have also resulted in boycotts by corporations. Houthi missile attacks against Israel prompted a number of airlines to again suspend flights to Israel. British Airways announced its flights were suspended until the end of July but admitted that political considerations were involved. These included seeking additional economic concessions from the Israeli government regarding compensation of passengers for disrupted travel.

In Britain a series of attacks by the domestic terrorist group Palestine Action against industrial firms manufacturing components for Israeli companies has been ongoing. In May after a second attack on its facility the Dean Group International announced it would not fulfill any additional contracts for Israeli firms including defense contractor Elbit. Additional attacks and vandalism by Palestine Action were reported in London, Scotland and Spain. Members of the group are being tried for causing over £1 million damage to another British factory and were convicted in yet another case.

Localized and individual boycott efforts against Israel also continue. In Britain members of the Co-op supermarket chain voted to boycott all Israeli products while in Norway a hotel turned away an Israeli traveler with reservations saying that union rules prohibited serving Israelis. Similar attacks on Israeli travelers have been reported in Italy and elsewhere.

Arts/Culture

The leading event in the arts and culture sphere in May was the annual Eurovision competition. As usual, various BDS groups and European states including Ireland and Spain had attempted to have Israel disqualified. A variety of street protests occurred including in Britain where rioters attempted to shut down a theater showing the competition broadcast. Israeli singer Yuval Raphael, who had survived the Nova massacre of October 7th, endured harassment during the lead up to the competition and the preliminary rounds.

Raphael placed second overall, receiving the most public votes from the predominantly European audience. As it has with previous Israeli winners, Eurovision later omitted Raphael’s performance from its official album compilation.

The result indicated again that European public opinion towards Israel is not wholly reflected in governmental hostility or vocal protests by Muslim and left wing populations. As if to confirm this, the Spanish prime minister called for Israel to be banned and the country’s broadcast authority suggested the votes be audited and the voting system should be revised.

In New York City the annual Salute to Israel Parade was held under tight security and with minimal disruptions. In contrast, report indicate that the organizers of the New York Dyke March deliberately adopted a “commitment to anti-Zionist, anti-racist, pro-LGBTQ+ community standards” in order to assuage Muslim and Palestinian assertions of feeling “unsafe” and to minimize Jewish participation.

At the Cannes film festival, a group of film industry members issued a letter decrying the industry’s “passivity” over Gaza and Israel’s “genocide.” Despite the festival’s claims of being a non-political setting former hostage Mia Schem was not permitted to wear a yellow hostage pin on the red carpet while accused rapist Julian Assange was permitted to wear a shirt with the words ‘Stop Israel’ and the names of Gazan children alleged killed during the conflict. A similar letter signed by 300 British entertainment industry members alleged that Israel was deliberately starving Gazans.

 

The music industry also continues to be a center of anti-Israel activity. In Britain one member of the Irish rap group Kneecap, which had performed at the Coachella music festival in front of signs reading “Fuck Israel, Free Palestine” and “Israel is Committing Genocide Against the Palestinians,” was charged with with a terrorism offense for waving a Hezbollah flag at a performance.

Meanwhile, a British venue has canceled performances by a klezmer group because some of its members are Israeli. The venue later claimed that the group’s album artwork, which included watermelons, was ‘offensive’ to ‘Palestine.’ Performances by Radiohead frontman Jonny Greenwood and Israeli artist Dudu Tassa were also canceled in London and Bristol.

Support for anti-Israel and pro-Hamas narratives including the charge of ‘genocide’ are being made increasingly casually by cultural elites (as well as academic and professional organizations). In addition to these now routine charges from far left outlets such as the Guardian and The Nation recent examples include:

The accompanying litmus tests and boycotts of Israelis and Jews continue to expand in music and publishing.

Violent attacks on Jews escalate as Trump Administration confronts universities over visas and funding. ‘Genocide’ claims explode as Israel remains focus in local politics.

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AUTHOR

Alex Joffe

Editor SPME / BDS Monitor

Alexander H. Joffe is an archaeologist and historian specializing in the Middle East and contemporary international affairs. He received a B.A. in History from Cornell University in 1981 and Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Arizona in 1991. From 1980 to 2003 he participated in and directed archaeological research in Israel, Jordan, Greece and the United States. Joffe taught at the Pennsylvania State University and Purchase College, and has been Director of Research for Global Policy Exchange, Ltd., and The David Project, Center for Jewish Leadership.

Joffe's work is uniquely broad. Since 1991 he has published dozens of studies on the archaeology of the Eastern Mediterranean and is a leading figure in contentious debates over the relationship between archaeology and politics in the Middle East. He has also authored numerous works on contemporary issues, including Middle Eastern environmental security threats from pollution and weapons of mass destruction. His work on the problem of dismantling intelligence agencies is widely cited by experts and democratic reformers alike.

In the past decade Joffe has written and spoken on topics as varied as the future of American Jews, the Palestinian refugee problem, and nationalism. During that time as well he has been deeply involved with combating the problems of campus antisemitism, the ‘boycott, divestment and sanctions' movement against Israel, and in educating Jews and others about threats to Israel and the West. His current projects include a biography of a British World War II general and several novels. He and his family reside near New York City.


Read all stories by Alex Joffe

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