Israel’s allies using ‘McCarthyist tactics’ to ‘cynically weaponised’ anti-Semitism

The former Executive Director of Harvard Hillel, Bernie Steinberg, has written a scathing denunciation of the “the cynical weaponization of antisemitism by powerful forces who seek to intimidate and ultimately silence legitimate criticism of Israel and of American policy on Israel.”

Writing for the Harvard Crimson, Steinberg said that as an elder leader, with the benefit of hindsight, he feels compelled to speak out against what he says is “a disturbing trend gripping [our] campus, and many others.” Steinberg accused advocates of Israel of deploying McCarthyist tactics to manufacture an anti-Semitism scare. “In most cases, it takes the form of bullying pro-Palestine organizers,” said Steinberg. “In others, these campaigns persecute anyone who simply doesn’t show due deference to the bullies.”

Steinberg claimed that for too long, powerful forces have been cynically using accusations of anti-Semitism to muzzle legitimate criticism of Israel and American policy regarding its closest ally. The statement calls attention to a recent incident targeting Harvard’s new University President, Claudine Gay.

Gay, an American political scientist and academic administrator, has come under severe criticism from pro-Israel Republican lawmakers for defending free speech over Israel.  Steinberg applauded Harvard’s decision to stand firm against what he deems “ludicrous charges” meant to stifle criticism.

“The recent effort to smear our new University President, Claudine Gay, is a case in point. I applaud the decision by the Harvard Corporation to stand by Dr. Gay amid the ludicrous charges that she somehow supports genocide against Jews,” asserts Steinberg.

The former Harvard Hillel chief goes on to underscore the high stakes involved, citing the example of the president of the University of Pennsylvania as a cautionary tale. “The toppling of the president of the University of Pennsylvania is a sobering example of what can happen when we empower these unscrupulous forces to dictate our path as university leaders. The stakes are as high as they’ve ever been. Our vigilance must be up to the task,” Steinberg warns.

Steinberg’s is the most damning condemnation for what he terms a “McCarthyist tactic” of manufacturing an anti-Semitism scare. “What makes this trend particularly disturbing is the power differential: Billionaire donors and the politically-connected, non-Jews and Jews alike on one side, targeting disproportionately people of vulnerable populations on the other, including students, untenured faculty, persons of color, Muslims, and, especially, Palestinian activists,” he declares.

Let me speak plainly: It is not antisemitic to demand justice for all Palestinians living in their ancestral lands

Steinberg insists, challenging the narrative that equates criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. After urging Jewish students to “boldly” criticise Israel, Steinberg states: “I know what antisemitism looks like and I do not take the issue of violence against Jews lightly. I have monitored, with vigilance, the kinds of speech that Israel-aligned parties are calling ‘antisemitic,’ and it simply does not pass the sniff test.”

Sharing the Steinberg’s article on X, ITV’s Robert Peston, who himself was accused of fuelling moral panic over anti-Semitism when Jeremy Corbyn was leader of the Labour Party, said: “As a Jew, I have become increasingly worried that the charge of antisemitism is being levelled to silence legitimate and important debate. Antisemitism is on the rise, but there is also a rise in the unscrupulous use of the term to silence reasonable questions about the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza.”

As a Jew, I have become increasingly worried that the charge of antisemitism is being levelled to silence legitimate and important debate. Antisemitism is on the rise, but there is also a rise in the unscrupulous use of the term to silence reasonable questions about the Israeli…

— Robert Peston (@Peston) December 31, 2023

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