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The rising tide of anti-Israel sentiment in America, particularly within its prestigious universities, is indeed a cause for concern. Institutions like New York University, Yale, Columbia, Harvard, UCLA, UC Berkeley, MIT and the University of Michigan, which are renowned for their intellectual rigor and thoughtful discourse, turned into hotbeds for anti-Israel demonstrations. How is it that in these centers well-known for their academic intelligence and sophistication, sentiments that border on the absurd are flourishing?
The answer lies in understanding that intelligence and reason do not guard against a much deeper hatred. Throughout history, some of the most educated and cultured societies have expressed the most heinous accusations against Jews. Today, at these universities, we witness the resurgence of such sentiments. Despite their education, these students and faculty members are susceptible to believing and spreading accusations against Israel, just as their predecessors did centuries ago against Jews.
This phenomenon is not a matter of logic or reason; it stems from deeper mechanisms embedded in nature. When it comes to Jews and Israel, different centers are activated, and people begin to shift to a completely different mindset and start believing certain narratives that they hear. It is as Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) writes, that “it is a fact that Israel is hated by all the nations, whether for religious, racial, capitalist, communist, or for cosmopolitan reasons, etc. It is so because the hatred precedes all reasons, but each merely resolves its loathing according to its own psychology.”
It might also seem perplexing that many Jewish donors and organizations continue to support universities that are openly hostile to Israel. These donors believe in the value of the education these institutions provide and see themselves as champions of pluralism and democracy. However, this support is increasingly becoming a double-edged sword. The more they contribute, the more they help sustain breeding grounds for anti-Israel sentiment.
For Jewish students at these universities, the situation is even more challenging. They must navigate themselves in an atmosphere of hostility toward Israel, yet many choose to ignore it or even align with it, treating it as part of their academic journey. However, in the long-term, graduates of these universities move on to lead the country, and the future of American support for Israel becomes increasingly uncertain.
In such a scenario, Israel needs to prepare itself to stand alone. The key to Israel’s survival is not in external support but in strengthening its internal unity and in realizing the fateful role of the Jewish people—to unite (“love your neighbor as yourself”) above differences (“love will cover all crimes”) in order to become a conduit for the unifying force dwelling in nature to spread worldwide (to be “a light unto the nations”).
The shift in American sentiment toward Israel, which is poignantly evident in the academic environment, is an expression of growing pressure to awaken a much-needed new unification of the Jewish people. The response to the anti-Israel and antisemitic atmosphere should thus be to strengthen the unity of the Jewish people. That is the fortress that will secure Israel’s future.
Based on KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” on July 29, 2024. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
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