‘Morning Joe’ Reacts to Antisemitism on College Campuses: ‘These Are Becoming Truly Unsafe Spaces’ (Video)

Mika Brzezinski also unpacks a “selective outrage” from other tense issues like race relations

Mika Brzezinski "Morning Joe" (MSNBC)
"Morning Joe" (MSNBC)

MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” host Mika Brzezinski analyzed the Israel-Palestine tension on college campuses Monday with guest Richard Haass, a U.S. diplomat who pointed out the decline in safety amid rising animosity between college students.

“This is outrageous what is going on, and the universities are clearly failing educationally and they are clearly failing in their obligations to make students feel safe,” Haass said in video you can watch below. “We hear all this talk Mika about safe spaces. Well, what’s happening on these campuses? These have become truly unsafe spaces. Kids are feeling pressure, they’re feeling intimidated, physically threatened. There’s something seriously wrong on our campuses.”

Brzezinski and Haass unpacked a specific situation at Cornell in which the Ivy League institution sent officers to guard the Jewish Center after violent, antisemitic messages were posted online. Brzezinski pointed out that Cornell is not alone, “where their Jewish students are feeling isolated and scared for their lives” to say the least. She also pointed out that these reactions differ from the outbreak of the Ukraine war.

“There’s selective outrage here. Where are the protests against all the people in Yemen, or Ukraine, or in Iran? I’m not saying that everything Israel’s done has been perfect. Obviously, it hasn’t there have been civilian casualties, but the hypocrisy of these reactions,” Haass added. “Where are these campus authorities? Where are they protecting Jewish students of this or any other group or any other minority on campus? Do you think their reactions would be the same way? Come on. We’re not talking about people that don’t like reading this/that line in a book, in ‘Huckleberry Finn.’”

On Wednesday, Columbia students staged a walkout to call for an Israeli ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The protest was labeled antisemitic by Jewish students at Columbia as well as the school community. Columbia-Barnard faculty disputed the label in an open letter defending students who participated in the protest.

Columbia professor Katherine Franke shared the letter in a  tweet writing, “Columbia/Barnard faculty have signed an open letter supporting our students, making the point that identifying with the suffering of Gazans and historically contextualizing the current war in Israel/Gaza is not antisemitic. Please read and share.”

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