It’s been over four months since Rutgers faculty were shown to be involved in a rash of outrageous anti-Semitic/anti-Israel incidents (see for example Jewish Link, December 7, 2017).  Professor Michael Chikandas had shared dozens of anti-Semitic posts on his Facebook page. Professor Mazen Adi, a former Syrian government official, accused Israel of trafficking human organs. And Professor Jasbir Puar claimed Israeli soldiers deliberately wound Palestinians to keep them under control. Perhaps worst of all, President Robert Barchi used a pathetic and  unconscionable defense of vicious campus anti-Semitic acts and statements, as expressions of “free speech,” not hate speech.

To date, Barchi still hasn’t apologized for, or condemned, this behavior, and remains the president. Chikandas is still a professor at Rutgers, with only a modified teaching load as the consequence for his bigotry. No visible action has been taken against Puar. And while Adi is no longer teaching at Rutgers, Barchi claimed that he hasn’t taught there for three years anyway, so that was also basically a no-action action. The net effect is that after all the furor from the Jewish community at Rutgers and around the state, very little has actually been accomplished. Barchi has successfully dug in his heels and shielded his school and faculty from any substantive remedial action. I don’t think this is the right message for our community to be left with. Openly anti-Semitic/anti-Israel behavior must be met with more than weak protests from our community and meetings with our leaders. I hope the Jewish Link will remain a vital organ in the fight against offensive behavior on and off campus, and will help spread the word that such acts must be met with strong resistance and meaningful consequences.

Max Wisotsky

Highland Park