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Michael Berenhaus

WaPo defends hate speech against Jews

It’s not a ‘tight-rope issue’ – its a four-lane highway issue!

In “Penn furor stirs debate on limits of free speech” (12/10/23), The Washington Post states that “the resignation of the University of Pennsylvania’s president following her testimony over how to handle calls for the genocide of Jews has highlighted the tight-rope school leaders are walking as students protest the war in Gaza.” Calling for the genocide of Jews is not a “tight-rope” issue, it is a four-lane highway! Easy to handle – it’s harassment! And that’s why the presidents of the elite schools received such a backlash. Everyone knows that – but the presidents.

Interestingly, Harvard had no trouble concluding that using the wrong pronoun could constitute abuse, making it even more remarkable that not one among the three top university presidents could recognize abuse in a call for the genocide of Jews.

The Washington Post apparently feels the need to stand behind the elite school presidents by saying they were “walking a tight-rope”. That is short on substance, wrong by precedent, and downright amoral!

About the Author
Dr. Berenhaus has worked tirelessly as a watchdog for anti-Israel bias in the media. His efforts monitoring and responding to false media reports on Israel have compelled several news organizations to retract inaccuracies and publish letters clarifying the truth about Israel. He has been published widely in highly distributed newspapers and online publications including The Washington Post, The NY Times, The Economist, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Jewish Week, and The American Thinker. He is a crusader in online/social media working to educate the general public as an advocate of Israel and against anti-Semitism. Dr. Berenhaus is a co-founder of ‘Boycott The Post’ and of ‘Eye on the Post’ - two non-profit organizations that monitor media coverage to ensure accuracy, fairness and truth as it relates to Israel. He is also a founder of The Pakistan Israel Peace Forum, an organization dedicated to creating peace between Muslims and Jews. Although many people in the Washington Jewish community know Dr. Berenhaus for his work in journalism, most don't know how generous he is to the Jewish community with both his time and money. Dr. Berenhaus has spent countless hours throughout the years volunteering for Israel and Jewish organizations. He went to Ethiopia and worked with the last remaining Ethiopian Jews. He has lectured to Interns and community groups providing direction and techniques for Israel Advocacy in the media. Currently, Dr. Berenhaus is working with JSSA to coordinate and donate eye glasses to the entire Washington DC region of needy Holocaust Survivors. That effort has now been expanded nationally.