NewsNation’s Leland Vittert provides his expert analysis and perspective on the Israel-Hamas war in the Oct. 26 edition of his War Notes column.
(NewsNation) — The news in one line: A reckoning with antisemitism is coming.
Thankfully the students at Cooper Union College in New York made it out okay, but you didn’t see this video on the morning news.
If these were Black students locked inside while a mob of white students in hoods tried to break in, it would, rightly, lead every network newscast tonight, tomorrow and for the next week. But since it’s Jewish students and Hamas supporters trying to attack them, it won’t.
It is difficult to find an explanation other than antisemitism for the media’s obvious bias against Israel. In a larger sense, mob mentality is impossible to control. I would know because I got jumped outside the white house during Black Lives Matter protests. The fact that Jewish kids didn’t get beaten up at Cooper Union is almost a miracle, but sadly we must be ready for the time that they will. How will the media “both sides” that?
Angry crowds of pro-Hamas marchers coming for Jews are allowed and protected on America’s college campuses, like George Washington University and others. Jews in America see this as a modern-day Kristallnacht. Roving groups of SS and Hitler Youth killed 91 people in November of 1938. Hamas killed 1400 on Oct. 7. History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes, as Mark Twain would note. American Jews are angry and scared; they are fighting back and will force a reckoning with colleges, universities, employers and politicians. It is no longer fair and honest journalism to describe these groups as “pro-Palestinian.” They are pro-Hamas or anti-Israel. Their chants and signs very clearly call for the destruction of the state of Israel. The media spent months handwringing after Charlottesville about calling hate what it is when the Proud Boys marched with tiki torches chanting “Jews will not replace us.” Why is that not happening now?
Palestinian groups can’t have it both ways. Either the Palestinians (Gazans) are being oppressed by Hamas and thus Israel’s campaign to liberate them is a good thing or the Palestinians (Gazans) are not innocent and support Hamas. Which is it? How long does the Palestinian movement say it’s acceptable for Hamas to kill gay people and stone women until these groups will actually fight for Palestinians rather than against Israel. And yes, there is a difference.
We saw that with Megyn Kelly’s very perceptive comments about the Queen of Jordan who cries for the Palestinian plight from her palace while her husband refuses to take a single Palestinian refugee.
NBC reports there is a rise in American Jews participating in gun training classes. No kidding, but they are fighting back aggressively in the public square with the Canary Project and Twitter’s StopAntisemitism.
Perhaps in an attempt to assuage the pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic Party, President Biden laid out his vision for a two-state solution yesterday. This is something he didn’t care about until Hamas attacked.
As President Biden once said, “Good luck in your senior year.” The Israelis compromise only from a position of strength and when they feel unwavering American support. They feel neither right now and the pressure to delay a ground invasion for a “humanitarian cause” isn’t helping. Pressure for more compromises or talk of “international law” by the Biden administration will only harden the Israeli sentiment that they are alone in an existential battle. At the very least, a grand compromise would require regime change in Tehran, something the Biden administration shows zero interest in.
The Biden administration continues to push Israel to delay the ground invasion for fear of a larger war, and reportedly, so American forces can move missile defense systems to our Middle East bases. As we said last night, the best defense against attacks by Iran’s militias on American forces is a good offense. Despite another round of attacks by Iranian groups on Americans, Biden let another crossing of his red line go without a response. The only thing worse than letting the school bully take your lunch money is making threats of retribution you don’t back up.
Tune into “On Balance with Leland Vittert” weeknights at 7/6C on NewsNation. Find your channel here.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation.