A New War on Terror?

     Has the Global War on Terror truly ended? Short answer, no! We as a society have seem to have forgotten the threat in the shadows for those more apparent and obvious. Before I proceed, here's a bit of backstory.

     In 2021, President Biden ordered the withdrawal of all American troops from Afghanistan in what is still very much a controversial move. Within 2 weeks of the withdrawal deadline, the Taliban would take control of the Afghan government and start its repressive rule over the Afghan people. Despite the ominous and somber nature of the affair, many a news outlet praised this withdrawal and called it the ‘end’ of the Global War on Terror. However, the stateside response to the attacks on October 7th 2023, proved us wrong, horribly wrong!

    Within weeks of the October 7th attacks on Israel, there were immediately demonstrations against Israel and sharp increase in attacks, assaults, and harassments of Jewish students and faculty, and/or students and faculty who were indifferent to the issue. The real question is this,  what is the end goal of the rioters? Though terrible, it makes sense that they were harassing Jewish students, after all they were going on an antisemitic rampage under the guise of “human rights”. Then why did they harass the indifferent? Were they intimidating the indifferent to subscribe to their pro-Palestinian/pro-terrorist party line? Just as the Nazis had intimidated the politically indifferent in 1930s Germany? What is more glaring is those student leaders who have been blatantly waving Hezbollah and Hamas banners, chanting for an intifada, and, in a now infamous reel on social media, proclaiming ‘we are all Hamas!’, all these actions are cause for grave concern at the highest levels. 

      First of all, what is terrorism, the dictionary definition that is. If when googles 'Terrorism' definition they will get the below quote,

“The unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.(Oxford Dictionary)”

    So based on this, by definition, everything that the demonstrators/rioters did, protesting against the State of Israel, intimidating, assaulting, harassing Jewish Students, Faculty, and their Allies, IS TERRORISM! The fact that not more Americans are alarmed by this, especially in a post-9/11 world, is horribly astounding. In addition there's the elephant in the room, many of these demonstrators are in their early 20s at the eldest, meaning they will be our future educators and leaders! It's not too late to change things. But moving forward, there is an uncomfortable reality we must live with, The War on Terror is not only overseas, but now in our universities and on our streets and in the shadows. That said, I implore you to ask yourselves these important questions. 

Most demonstrators, no matter how vile, after you strip away the hateful terrorist ideology, brainwashing and detestable actions, are still people. With dreams and aspirations like you. Yet education has a way of molding a person in ways often irreversible. So what kind of education did these people have that'd have them throw their futures away to demonstrate in favor of terrorism?

How well informed is the average American? If so, where is there information coming from? Is it an echo chamber?

How many of these demonstrators are even aware of what they of ‘demonstrating’ for? Or are they simply following the mob and wearing ‘keffiyehs’ because its trendy? 

Do these people even realise that their actions will hamper their ability to get a career anywhere?

How many people are even educated about the Holocaust?

If Ethnic studies is a requirement in the state of California, why isn't there an option at most Universities to study Jewish History? And why isn't Holocaust education mandatory in high schools? Like it is in Germany, a country once gripped by a fanatic antisemitic ideology.

     I write these questions, not as an activist, for I am not. Not as a Jew, for I am not of the Tribe either. I implore you, as a fellow human being, to consider and think about what kind of world you would want your children to be born into. And if you're willing to reshape this dumpster fire of our predicament into something safer for our futures? Because it's not too late to change this hell, and/or to build a world of peace and opportunity for our future generations.

E. L.

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