I told you so: My warning against BDS and colleges

In 2019, I penned a foreboding blog in the Times of Israel titled “Jew Season,” where I projected a sinister future. By 2030, I warned, the world could be governed by Ivy League college graduates brainwashed and steeped in BDS ideology, potentially sanctioning policies that could annihilate Israel and precipitate a modern-day Holocaust against the Jewish people. My assertions were then viewed as alarmist and dismissed by many. Critics claimed that my concerns were exaggerated, an unwarranted fear mongering given the political climate of the time.

Yet, as we inch closer to the end of the decade, the landscape of global discourse is shifting alarmingly towards that grim outlook. University campuses and political platforms are now fertile ground for a resurgence of extreme, genocidal rhetoric—rhetoric that not only calls for the obliteration of Israel but openly fantasizes about a global purge of Jews. This shift is not incidental but a result of years of ideological indoctrination that has taken root primarily in institutions that mold the next generation’s leaders.

October 7th has morphed into a chilling spectacle. On this day, in a horrifying spree, Hamas executed 1,200 Israelis, mostly Jewish, in cold blood—families were incinerated, infants decapitated, women violated, and over 240 individuals were dragged away into the night. Now, shockingly, this date is celebrated by extremists and global youth as a festival of blood and conquest, recasting Hamas from a terrorist faction into a distorted symbol of liberation. This perverse celebration marks a profound moral decay that mirrors the darkest periods of human history.

The narratives promoting such extremism are no longer confined to the fringes but are being echoed in classrooms and playgrounds, where even children, Western countries,  as young as five are indoctrinated with calls for intifada. This is not mere political activism; it is a systematic indoctrination of hate, a grooming of foot soldiers for future ethnic cleansing. The consequences of this educational malpractice are severe, promising a future where peace is unattainable and conflict is normalized.

The echoes of the Holocaust are undeniable in this rhetoric. Just as the Nazis used propaganda to dehumanize Jews and pave the way for genocide, today’s extremist rhetoric seeks to desensitize the global populace to the horrors of potential mass atrocities. It’s as if the lessons of history are being unlearned, as the world once again becomes a bystander to the incubation of hatred and violence.

Reflecting on my activism, in 2014, I led the first historical march/rally titled “Silence? Never Again!” which was broadcast globally. I insisted that all participants, including the speakers, wear Jewish Yellow Stars. This decision was met with astonishment by one particular speaker, to whom I had to explain that the Holocaust did not occur overnight but in stages. Wearing the star was not only appropriate but necessary, as a powerful reminder of the incremental steps that lead to such atrocities and the importance of vigilance in the face of rising hate.

A disturbing trend among Jewish as well as non- Jewish youth highlights a significant lapse in historical understanding. Despite continuous Jewish presence in the Land of Israel, history has been distorted to paint a narrative of Zionist colonialism. In truth, Zionism represents the return of an indigenous people to their ancestral homeland, a land that was subjected to Arab colonization aimed at erasing Jewish connections. These colonists appropriated the term “Zionism,” casting the rightful inhabitants as foreign intruders in their own land. This narrative inversion is akin to labeling Native Americans as colonists while portraying European settlers as the indigenous population.

This misrepresentation of history suggests that Jews were absent from their land for 2000 years, which is misleading. In reality, Jews remained in the region, albeit stateless, through centuries of Arab and Ottoman rule that sought to ethnically cleanse and suppress their presence during the existence of the Ottoman Empire. The impact of such historical distortions is profound, leading to a skewed perception of the Jewish historical and moral claim to the land. So ignorant are people of even current events and the true intended actions taken by the IDF that even Jewish filmmakers as Jonathan Glazer renounce their Jewishness. So foolish was his act. Instead of protesting the Israeli government he abandons 4000 years of struggle and righteousness to accommodate the masses. Twisting himself into a moral pretzel will only add fuel and armament to the Neo Nazis and Hamas supporters, especially since it was announced by a Holocaust academy award winning filmmaker.

The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated. We are standing at a precipice, with the specter of past horrors threatening to re-emerge in a new, perhaps even more devastating form. It is incumbent upon all who cherish humanity and peace to stand up and speak out against this tide of extremism. We must strengthen our educational frameworks to teach empathy and critical thinking, to combat the spread of hate, and to nurture a generation that values life over destruction. We must teach the Truth of our Right to exist on this planet on our Land.

Inaction is complicity. We must act now to stem this tide of extremism, to safeguard our future from repeating the darkest chapters of our past. Let us not be the generation that fails this crucial test. Let us be the guardians who say and act with resolute voice and action, “Never Again.” By acknowledging the lessons of the past and actively working to prevent their recurrence, we ensure that future generations inherit a world where dialogue, respect, and understanding prevail over division and hatred. No nation has proven and earned its right to existence and claim to its homeland as much as the Jewish Nation in the Jewish Land—the State of Israel.