XPost: soc.history.war.misc, sci.military.naval, or.politics
XPost: seattle.politics, alt.law-enforcement

from https://www.npr.org/2023/12/07/1218022152/emhoff-says-3-college-presidents-showed-a-lack-of-moral-clarity-on-antisemitism


Emhoff says 3 college presidents showed a 'lack of moral clarity' on antisemitism
DECEMBER 7, 20236:36 PM ET
By
NPR Staff

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff speaks during the Annual National Menorah
Lighting at the White House on Dec. 7, 2023.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff said on Thursday that a "crisis of
antisemitism" was making it difficult for many Jews in America to
celebrate Hanukkah, and singled out for criticism the presidents of
three elite universities for their Capitol Hill testimony this week
about antisemitism on campus.

Speaking at a ceremony to light the National Menorah, Emhoff cited the testimony as an example of why many Jews have felt "feeling unmoored and afraid" because of backlash to Israel's military response in Gaza to the
Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas.

Lawmakers grill the presidents of Harvard, MIT and Penn over
antisemitism on campus
MIDDLE EAST CRISIS — EXPLAINED
Lawmakers grill the presidents of Harvard, MIT and Penn over
antisemitism on campus
The presidents of Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania have
been criticized for failing to say whether students calling for genocide
would be disciplined. Liz Magill, the president of UPenn, said the issue
would be "context-dependent." She has since apologized.

"Seeing the presidents of some of our most elite universities literally
unable to denounce calling for the genocide of Jews as antisemitic —
that lack of moral clarity is simply unacceptable," Emhoff said.

"Let me be clear. When Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or
identity, and when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hatred,
that is antisemitism. And it must be condemned and condemned
unequivocally and without context," he said.

Doug Emhoff has made antisemitism his issue, but says it's everyone's
job to fight it
POLITICS
Doug Emhoff has made antisemitism his issue, but says it's everyone's
job to fight it
Since the Oct. 7 attacks, President Biden has pronounced unequivocal
support for Israel while expressing concerns about civilian deaths in
Gaza. But polls show a majority of Democratic voters feel like Israel's response has gone too far.

Vice President Harris said on Saturday that Israel needed to do more to
protect civilians in Gaza. "Too many innocent Palestinians have been
killed. Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering and the images and
videos coming from Gaza are devastating," she said.

Emhoff — who is the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president
— has led White House efforts on combating antisemitism, and earlier
this year he helped unveil a plan to boost safety and security for
Jewish communities.

At the National Menorah lighting ceremony, he said that Hanukkah was a
time to "live out the legacy of the generations of ancestors who came
before us" and "rededicate ourselves to embracing our faith and
practicing our traditions.

"We cannot live in fear or be afraid. We must always live openly and
proudly as Jews," he said.


In his remarks, second gentleman Doug Emhoff condemned a trio of
university presidents for what he called "a lack of moral clarity" on antisemitism during congressional testimony this week.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
antisemitism
doug emhoff
hanukkah
israel
gaza

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)