Sharf: Colorado professors play apologists for slaughter of Jews
During the current Israel-Hamas War, academia has mostly distinguished itself by its even-handed treatment of the murderers and the murdered. University administrations across the country, amidst aggressive and sometimes violent pro-Hamas campus demonstrations, have taken to issuing statements condemning what Hamas did, but without condemning what Hamas is. This rescues them from the deeply uncomfortable position – for them – of having to admit that Israel occupies not the Gaza Strip but the moral high ground.
For example, look at the statement from University of Denver Chancellor Jeremy Haefner. After referring to the “horrific terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel” (the AP and the BBC would be very disappointed), the statement goes to explain that, “The University as an institution must remain neutral on geopolitical issues.” Compare that to what Chancellor Haefner had to say about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He wrote, “At the same time, the extraordinary courage and iron will of the Ukrainian people are inspiring testimonies to the human spirit. As always, The University of Denver stands in support of those defending democracy.” If you read carefully, you may notice a subtle difference in tenor.
No such pale pastels for a group calling itself “Sociologists in Solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinian People.” Instead it has issued a statement in full-throated condemnation of “the Israeli regime” and its “internationally supported genocide.” It simultaneously accuses Israel of targeting the civilian population and condemns it for trying to get civilians out of harm’s way. It repeats claims that have since been disproven, while repeating the now-familiar characterizations of Israel as colonial and “apartheid.”
The statement opens with a claim that “Sociology as a discipline is rooted in a recognition of relationships of power and inequality,” indication that the statement itself is rooted in an acceptance of cultural Marxism. The signatories want to “[contextualize] this past week’s violence in the context of 75 years of settler colonial occupation,” that is to say, how the existence of Israel justifies the rape and murder of Jewish civilians.