One year ago, the Santa Barbara Independent published our letter supporting the UC Santa Barbara students who were protesting the Gaza war (“ We Are Old Activists, We Are Jewish, and We Support the Student Protests Against the Gaza War ,” April 30, 2024.) Now it is almost exactly a year later, and we remain united in denouncing the Israeli war on the people of Gaza.
This conflict is not really about anti-Semitism. It is about the independence and autonomy of universities in the United States. Surveys of American Jews show a deep split about the Gaza situation. Sizable percentages support U.S. pressure on Israel to achieve a ceasefire and express positive attitudes toward the student protests. Thousands of Jewish academics have signed a statement of opposition to Israeli and U.S. policy titled “Not in Our Name.” Jewish Voice for Peace — an explicitly anti-Zionist organization actively engaged in protesting the war — now claims a half-million supporters.
As educators, we note the complexities of difference among Jews, as with other peoples in the world. There is deep historic variation among Jews as to what they do believe or should believe. To equate Jewish identity with the goals of the Israeli state reflects a political agenda.