In a soon-to-be aired episode of "Unmuted with Marsha," Polaris National Security founder Morgan Ortagus discussed with Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) the rise of antisemitism in America, including and especially on college campuses, following the October 7 attack that Hamas perpetrated on Israel. As they searched to find meaning on why schools allow such antisemitism to happen, Ortagus pointed out that it has actually been going on for some time, as she spoke to how there's been "pernicious woke ideologies that have invaded our higher education systems."
Not only has there been a rise of antisemitism on college campuses and universities in the weeks following the terrorist attack, but administrations of these supposedly elite institutions have been slow and lacking in their responses. In some instances, universities have even defended or stood up for pro-Hamas students.
While there was surprise, including from Ortagus herself, in how bad and how "deep seeded this antisemitism is in universities," she also pointed to how woke and radically leftist these universities have been, and encouraged Blackburn to "just look a what they have been teaching in these universities." As Ortagus reminded, "they constantly pour into the heads of these young people in the universities, what an awful nation America is," adding given "the type of ideologies that are pushed and pushed and pushed on students," it actually "should be of no surprise then that you come out at the other end with antisemitism."
Such was a point that Ortagus emphasized throughout, as she also noted"we've seen the symptoms now for many years," adding "unfortunately, now the pie is baked."
Ortagus referenced an example of how "there was a university where Jewish students were in the library had to be barricaded in the library because of pro Hamas, pro-Palestinian protestors that went from just protesting to banging on the doors that had antisemitic signs." She was speaking to what happened at Cooper Union, where federal investigations didn't come until weeks later. Cooper Union isn't the only one being investigated, though there are still more examples beyond the seven schools facing investigations from the Department of Education.
Ortagus, who had also been a spokesperson for the State Department during the Trump administration, acknowledged that "while I'm a national security expert and not an education expert," there is "the need to re-look at federal funding for higher education."
Blackburn, who had examples of her own as she shared that she spoke to a mom of college students, raised about the failings of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offices (DEI). The mother she spoke to had shared how DEI was a major focus on campuses.
Yet there's at very least a lacking response, as other members of Congress have also highlighted, when it comes to recent events. Not only do students have to accept the the liberal philosophy in order to do well at college, but these colleges and the DEI offices there are saying "diversity, equity, and inclusion for the things I believe in, but not for conservatives." They're now also saying "not for Jewish students," as Blackburn highlighted.
Ortagus, who said she "totally agree[d]," offered how this has been a particular shock to liberal Jews, who have had "a very tough time," especially "because they have woken up and realized that all of the people that they thought that they stood for and they thought that they stood with" are no longer doing so and are actually "against them."
She also has the perspective of a parent, though her daughter is much younger. "So I think parents have to be incredibly vigilant. You can't take things for granted," Ortagus offered, going on to speak to her own experiences. "Listen, I'm vigilant about what preschool my daughter goes to. I can't even imagine by the time we get to college," Ortagus pointed out, declaring "but the only way that people wake up is when you start taking the power structure away from them."
Parents aren't the only one who have had to be "vigiliant." As part of what's "waking people up," Ortagus also spoke to how those who have said they won't hire pro-Hamas students signing onto letters blaming Israel for the terrorist attack. Job offers have indeed been rescinded and letters have been written. Harvard alumni and hedgefund manager Bill Ackman has been especially vocal.
Perhaps time will tell if more rescinded job offers, letters, investigations and pulled donations have an effect. It's why Ortagus' point that "the only way that people wake up is when you start taking the power structure away from them" is so powerful.
But again, a common theme of the segment was that these incidents keep happening on college campuses because antisemities can get away with it. What federal investigations that have taken as long as they have. What was discussed above, Ortagus offered, is "a start," though she did point out that "as long as these universities... have the safety net of federal funding, they're going to continue to hire the way they have." She thus continued to call for people to "stand up."
"We all have to stand up," Orthagus encouraged, "anyone who has any sort of power or authority to say "we're actually going to call out the antisemitism" and say "we're going to hold these educators, progessors and universities accountable," as "Jewish children around this country in universities feel threatened." Calling out the antisemitism was a point Ortagus continued to stress throughout the segment, including when it comes to calling out Hamas as the terrorist organization that it is.
Last month, as the senator mentioned, she joined with others from both parties to introduce a resolution condemning antisemitism at higher institutions. It passed unanimously. She and other Republican senators also introduced the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act, which, as a press release mentioned with original emphasis, "would rescind federal education funding for colleges and universities that peddle antisemitism or authorize, fund or facilitate events that promote violent antisemitism."
In addition to speaking out against antisemitism, it's also crucial to speak to the truth about what it is that Hamas has done, and how there is no moral equivalence between them and Israel. Hamas terrorists are "not freedom fighters," Ortagus reminded. rebe
While "Israel is doing everything they can to avoid the loss of life," Ortagus explained, Hamas, who is worse than ISIS, taregeted women and children," including "women of all ages." Secretary Lloyd Austin has also mentioned that Hamas "is worse than ISIS." In addition to the 1,200 Israelis that Hamas killed, mostly civilians, they also engaged in rape, torture, and kidnapping. Over a month later, the around 240 hostages have just recently started to be released in rounds.
Townhall was invited earlier this month to view footage at the Israeli embassy of what Hamas did on October 7, though the 45-minute footage amounted to less than 10 percent of what was actually recorded. Members of Congress, like Blackburn, have also seen footage.
In addition to the barbarity shown in such footage, we also know that Hamas is not a bunch of freedom fighters, especially since Gaza has not been occupied since 2005, as Ortagus pointed out. "This happened because these people, just like ISIS, believe in a very evil ideology,where they think that this type of activity is permitted," Ortagus offered about the atrocities committed by such terrorists.
"They don't want a two state solution, right? When people say, 'well, this is just about people who have been oppressed, who need their own land, who need their own rights,' Hamas wants to kill every Jew. They want to get rid of the state of Israel. They're not doing this to get to the negotiating table. They're doing this because they're terrorists and they want to inflict terror in the heart of Jewish people," Ortagus reminded about Hamas' true nature.
Ortagus has spoken passionately before about how she still practices her Jewish faith and raises her daughter in that faith, as she did last month while on Fox News' "Outnumbered."
"I’m wearing my Star of David, I’m not taking it off, I'm not going to hide — and that's what I'm going to teach my daughter."
— Spencer Brown (@itsSpencerBrown) October 30, 2023
Powerful segment with @MorganOrtagus explaining how it's "terrifying to be a Jewish parent right now" and why her family is standing up to hate. pic.twitter.com/Z6Ktt12FL9