Opinion

Temple University, The Latest Antisemitic Hotspot, Protested Amid Record Donation Drive

Edwin Black Investigative Journalist
Font Size:

Temple University has become the latest focal point for groups concerned about the spreading wave of campus antisemitism and academic-based Holocaust minimizing.

Temple student Daniel Vessal, a fellow with CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America), was drawn into a verbal exchange with anti-Israel activists at the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) table during an official college event on August 20, 2014. Vessal, in his junior year at the Temple University Fox School of Business, studying Management Information Systems and Entrepreneurship, was allegedly called a “kike,” “Zionist pig,” and “baby killer.” He was slapped so hard at the SJP table that he was sent to the hospital. A police investigation and legal action are underway. The assaultive SJP supporter has purportedly apologized, according to a published SJP statement, which states: “I’m sorry for what I did. I admit I lost my temper.”

With lightning speed, fourteen Jewish organizations reacted to the assault, releasing a joint public letter of protest to Temple University. The letter complained: “A university campus should be the setting for thoughtful discussion and intellectual debate. Such an atmosphere should be encouraged by all responsible student groups. Unfortunately, Students for Justice in Palestine is not such a group. It has a proven track record of intimidation, harassment, and incitement merging into anti-Semitism against Israel and its supporters on campus.”

The swift-response joint letter was spearheaded by StandWithUs, which has become the nation’s pre-eminent campus pro-Israel advocacy group. Additional signatories included Americans for Peace and Tolerance, Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), David Horowitz Freedom Center, Hasbara Fellowships, Proclaiming Justice to The Nations, Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, Simon Wiesenthal Center Campus Outreach, The Lawfare Project, The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, and the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).

Students for Justice in Palestine has been accused of fomenting violence and hate at campuses elsewhere. In March of this year, the Northeastern University chapter in Boston was suspended for a year after distributing “mock eviction notices” throughout the dorms. After the mock evictions, every Northeastern student was sent an email from Robert Jose, Northeastern’s Associate Dean for Cultural and Residential Life, who asserted, “We do not condone any behavior that causes members of our community to feel targeted and/or intimidated.” After a tumult of police interrogations, online petitions, and organizational appeals by SJP, Northeastern reinstated the controversial group beginning this fall pursuant to strict oversight guidelines.

StandWithUs CEO Roz Rothstein explained her organization’s swift action. “All those who care about promoting a safe and peaceful environment on college campuses that encourages civilized debate should be concerned about Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and their track record of promoting hateful campaigns across the country that can lead to violence like this.” Scholars for Peace in the Middle East executive director Asaf Romirowsky added, “The latest at Temple is indicative of a larger trend growing on campuses — something we are seeing at both the faculty and student levels … giving rise to the BDS movement and to those seeking Israel’s destruction.”

Romirowsky referred to “the latest at Temple.” Indeed, the university has recently been in the spotlight for minimizing the Holocaust. On June 9 of this year, Temple University president Neil D. Theobald received a formal complaint from the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law about Holocaust minimizing. Brandeis protested that Temple University Adjunct Professor Alessio Lerro had argued that “Jews are exaggerating the extent of the Holocaust to obtain political advantages.” Lerro’s remarks were made during the fractious debate over a proposed Modern Language Association boycott of Israel. In an online post, Lerro reportedly quipped, “Six million? mh…. we all know (or should know) that the counting of Jews is a bit controversial.” After a furor, a university spokesman caused further angst when he explained, “the exercise of academic freedom necessarily results in a vigorous exchange of ideas.” After that rankling apologia, Brandeis issued its stern letter of rebuke.

Ironically, the day after the assault against Vessal, Temple announced a record $69.7 million in charitable donations for the fiscal year. This figure topped the previous year’s take, which was $65.8 million. As a 501(c)(3), every million dollars in tax-deductible donations raised by Temple is subsidized by general taxpayers in the amount of $400,000. Temple’s fundraising brochures declare, “Our students embody what it means to be Temple Made. But they couldn’t be who they are if you didn’t do what you do.” University President Theobald has stated, “We deeply appreciate the donors who recognize the power of Temple to contribute to the well-being of our city, state and nation.” More than 137,000 individual donations were made to Temple between 2010 and 2012 alone, according to university records examined. The university’s benefactors include many major gifts from Jewish donors and foundations arising from or controlled by Jewish individuals.

In addition, millions of dollars have been contributed by ordinary corporations and foundations. These include UnitedHealthcare and a division of Staples, both of which have robustly funded the university. The Fox School of Business, where Vessal is a student, maintains an entire web presence for corporate partners. At press time, the Business School’s Corporate section displayed a slideshow honoring senior executives from the ranks of HSBC Bank, Marriott, American Express, Blackstone Private Equity, Korman Communities, and Hershey’s.

If those protesting anti-Semitic agitation and Holocaust minimizing at Temple are serious about effecting a change, they might be sending their complaints to wrong address.

Edwin Black is the award-winning author of the international bestseller IBM and the Holocaust. This article follows his just-released newsbook, Financing the Flames: How Tax-Exempt and Public Money Fuel a Culture of Confrontation and Terrorism in Israel.

Edwin Black

PREMIUM ARTICLE: Subscribe To Keep Reading

Sign up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!

Sign up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!
Sign up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!

Sign up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!
Sign up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!

Sign Up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!
Sign up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!
Sign up

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use

You're signed up!
BENEFITS READERS PASS PATRIOTS FOUNDERS
Daily and Breaking Newsletters
Daily Caller Shows
Ad Free Experience
Exclusive Articles
Custom Newsletters
Editor Daily Rundown
Behind The Scenes Coverage
Award Winning Documentaries
Patriot War Room
Patriot Live Chat
Exclusive Events
Gold Membership Card
Tucker Mug

What does Founders Club include?

Tucker Mug and Membership Card
Founders

Readers,

Instead of sucking up to the political and corporate powers that dominate America, The Daily Caller is fighting for you — our readers. We humbly ask you to consider joining us in this fight.

Now that millions of readers are rejecting the increasingly biased and even corrupt corporate media and joining us daily, there are powerful forces lined up to stop us: the old guard of the news media hopes to marginalize us; the big corporate ad agencies want to deprive us of revenue and put us out of business; senators threaten to have our reporters arrested for asking simple questions; the big tech platforms want to limit our ability to communicate with you; and the political party establishments feel threatened by our independence.

We don't complain -- we can't stand complainers -- but we do call it how we see it. We have a fight on our hands, and it's intense. We need your help to smash through the big tech, big media and big government blockade.

We're the insurgent outsiders for a reason: our deep-dive investigations hold the powerful to account. Our original videos undermine their narratives on a daily basis. Even our insistence on having fun infuriates them -- because we won’t bend the knee to political correctness.

One reason we stand apart is because we are not afraid to say we love America. We love her with every fiber of our being, and we think she's worth saving from today’s craziness.

Help us save her.

A second reason we stand out is the sheer number of honest responsible reporters we have helped train. We have trained so many solid reporters that they now hold prominent positions at publications across the political spectrum. Hear a rare reasonable voice at a place like CNN? There’s a good chance they were trained at Daily Caller. Same goes for the numerous Daily Caller alumni dominating the news coverage at outlets such as Fox News, Newsmax, Daily Wire and many others.

Simply put, America needs solid reporters fighting to tell the truth or we will never have honest elections or a fair system. We are working tirelessly to make that happen and we are making a difference.

Since 2010, The Daily Caller has grown immensely. We're in the halls of Congress. We're in the Oval Office. And we're in up to 20 million homes every single month. That's 20 million Americans like you who are impossible to ignore.

We can overcome the forces lined up against all of us. This is an important mission but we can’t do it unless you — the everyday Americans forgotten by the establishment — have our back.

Please consider becoming a Daily Caller Patriot today, and help us keep doing work that holds politicians, corporations and other leaders accountable. Help us thumb our noses at political correctness. Help us train a new generation of news reporters who will actually tell the truth. And help us remind Americans everywhere that there are millions of us who remain clear-eyed about our country's greatness.

In return for membership, Daily Caller Patriots will be able to read The Daily Caller without any of the ads that we have long used to support our mission. We know the ads drive you crazy. They drive us crazy too. But we need revenue to keep the fight going. If you join us, we will cut out the ads for you and put every Lincoln-headed cent we earn into amplifying our voice, training even more solid reporters, and giving you the ad-free experience and lightning fast website you deserve.

Patriots will also be eligible for Patriots Only content, newsletters, chats and live events with our reporters and editors. It's simple: welcome us into your lives, and we'll welcome you into ours.

We can save America together.

Become a Daily Caller Patriot today.

Signature

Neil Patel