In the wake of last week’s Congressional hearings, it became apparent that the college presidents of prestigious Harvard, Penn, and MIT were operating in a unique academia-like bubble, as they couldn’t make the obvious and appropriate stand against the call for the elimination of Israel as a legitimate nation state.

Mobs of Hamas-supporting university students have continued to march throughout campuses and city streets chanting “From the river to the sea,” “Free Palestine,” and other vile antisemitic rants reminiscent of the 1930s German Nazis.

As the three schools received a barrage of outrage and have already lost hundreds of millions of dollars in alumni donations, the three tone-deaf Presidents have tried feebly to walk back their statements. It is too little, too late. In fact, Penn’s President resigned as I’m writing this.

Our leading academic institutions have become a cesspool of teaching, creating an environment that has many of their students drinking the Kool-aide of misinformation. Professors are revising the history of the Middle East, causing their students to chant slogans that are calling for the elimination of Israel and Jews without any understanding of the historical background of the Middle East. In many instances their students are unable to identify which river and which sea they are parroting. These same Universities are refusing to condemn Hamas’s barbaric actions on October 7^th.

Santa Clarita has recently experienced its share of antisemitism over many years.  After the brutal Hamas attack, hostage flyers were posted throughout the Valencia campus at COC. Many of the flyers were quickly torn down even though their posting had been granted permission by COC officials. The flyers had been replaced by Israeli supporters’ numerous times since then. Each time, many had been quickly removed from high trafficked areas, especially the student union and the kiosk near the recently dedicated intercultural center. In some instances, the hostage flyers remained posted but defaced with vile antisemitic rhetoric.

College of the Canyons already had community eyebrows raised by selecting former Black Panther and antisemite Angela Davis as their initial keynote speaker last spring for their anti-racism series. How tragic!

According to NPR, Angela Davis had a civil rights award rescinded by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute because of her previous antisemitic statements. This happened before she was selected by COC to be their initial keynote speaker, paying her $25,000.00 for her one-hour appearance. Either the COC anti-racism committee didn’t do their homework, or they just didn’t care.

Angela Davis continues to be controversial. In an interview last month with the Arab news funded agency, Al Jazeera, who supports the Hamas attacks, Davis said, “I cannot imagine not calling for justice for Palestine… …Palestine itself is a kind of moral litmus test for the world.” If Ms. Davis believes Hamas’s actions of beheading babies and raping, then killing woman “moral,” she shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near our valley.

For those, like Angela Davis who believe the Jews are illegitimate colonizers, read the following sentence from the Islamic Resistance Covenant (aka Hamas). “Israel will exist and continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.” Two weeks ago, the current leader of Hamas said identical thoughts during a television interview.

After much community pressure, the college balanced Angela Davis rhetoric with the renowned historian Shelby Steele several months ago.

We believe many schools across the country, are allowing teachers and “anti-racism” committees to go unchecked, pushing their own agenda under the guise of “freedom of speech.” It was the same lame defense given by the three prestigious college presidents.

Given the current academic atmosphere, KHTS believes it is critical for COC leadership to create a school environment that doesn’t tolerate antisemitism.

In two previous editorials, KHTS called on the COC Board to show their support for Israel by signing the Statement of Support for Israel against Hamas as requested by Universities United Against Terrorism.

The statement says, “We stand together with Israel against Hamas. We are horrified and sickened by the brutality and inhumanity of Hamas. Murdering innocent civilians including babies and children, raping women, and taking the elderly as hostages are not the actions of political disagreement but the actions of hate and terrorism. The basis of all universities is the pursuit of truth, and it is times like these that require moral clarity. Like the fight against Isis, the fight against Hamas is a fight against evil. We, the presidents and chancellors of universities and colleges across the United States of America and the world, stand with Israel, stand with the Palestinians who suffer under Hamas’ cruel rule in Gaza and with all people of moral conscience.”

Here is a link to the statement and the list of colleges and universities who have signed on in support.

COC has finally placed it as an agenda item for their December 13^th board meeting, tomorrow night. KHTS urges our college to join the hundreds of other institutions by condemning the terrorist actions of Hamas and taking a stance against antisemitism. Perhaps that will send a message to those on campus who are pushing an agenda that appears to justify the terrorist actions of Hamas.

In the past COC has displayed sensitivity to the holocaust.  Faculty in the animation department worked with the Remember Us: Righteous Conversation Project to create a series of animated documentaries based on stories of Holocaust survivors. The films include: “When Man to Man is a Wolf” “C’est Normal,” and “The Promise.”  These films have been shown at various festivals and locations, including the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust.

While these films are powerful, and a positive step in raising awareness, they were produced over a year ago. We are urging the school to take action now.

Perhaps the Board’s support by requesting COC Chancellor, Dianne Van Hook to sign the declaration, will discourage more hostage flyers from being torn down and demonstrate our college will not tolerate antisemitism.

Signing the declaration will be the greatest Chanukah gift the Santa Clarita Jewish community could receive.

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