Katie Britt courageously right about antisemitism, defending Israel: op-ed from Auburn's Bruce Pearl

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On June 6th, US Senator Katie Britt wrote an op-ed expressing her concern for the Jewish people. On June 9th, four teachers who identified themselves as Jewish academics in Alabama felt compelled to respond to Katie's article by telling us what she 'dangerously' got wrong about antisemitism. Well, I'm just one Jewish basketball coach from Alabama writing to tell you what Katie Britt got courageously right.

On college campuses across America, we are seeing an explosion of antisemitism. This hatred is the offspring of the red and green alliance -- the marriage of Marxism, democratic socialists on the left, and radical Islamism (Islam is a religion, and Islamism is a political ideology of conquest). Students and professors who are aligned with the anti-Western values of Marxism and the radical Islamist Hamas resistance movement are not only burning Israeli flags but American flags as well. The rallying cry is "Death to Israel" and "Death to America." It is reported that in the streets of the Gaza Strip, there are Hamas posters that declare: "First the Saturday People, then the Sunday People." The radical ideology of the Hamas resistance movement seeks to defeat Israel first and then take down the entire Western world.

I am sometimes challenged for my passionate support for the state of Israel. I will never waver. I recognize that if Israel falls to the radicalized form of Islam promoted by Iran and its proxies like Hamas, America will be next on their list. We must all come to grips with the fact that the entire Western world is under attack. Senator Katie Britt understands this, and every Alabamian and every American should rally behind her. The Senator knows that a rise in antisemitism is like the canary in the coal mine -- an early warning sign of impending danger in the social fabric. Antisemitism is a sign that hatred and bigotry are on the rise, not just toward Jews but toward everyone.

I know Katie Britt to be a person of integrity and great moral courage, and her heartfelt op-ed communicated the obvious -- hatred of any kind is unacceptable in the United States of America. I was puzzled then, when four university academics from my state of Alabama accused the good Senator of "misdirection" for stating the obvious fact that solidarity with the Hamas resistance movement is antisemitic. Contrary to their view, joining in solidarity with the Hamas resistance movement is antisemitic. How is the declared ambition of Hamas to murder every Jew in Israel not antisemitic?

One of the most shocking statements in their op-ed is this one: "Senator Britt is right to say that 'October 7th, 2023, didn't happen in a vacuum.' But not in the way she means. October 7th...was not the outcome of free-floating anti-Jewish animus but of resistance to 75 years of oppression, dispossession, occupation, and humiliation of the Palestinian people by the State of Israel." In this statement, these university professors shamefully claim the Hamas-led butchering of innocent Jewish men, women, and children on October 7th was justified resistance.

And it must be pointed out, that yes, Israel is a Jewish state, but its population includes a million and a half Muslims, and the three main religions of the world -- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are thriving in Israel, the only country in the Middle East that enjoys such religious freedom. The apartheid lie promulgated by these four academics is inspiring acts of violence against Jews the world over.

Not only do they accuse Senator Britt of creating a dangerous situation by opposing those who are in solidarity with Hamas, they also accuse her of opposing "righteous opposition to Israel's ongoing genocide" and then proclaim their belief that: "What is happening today in Gaza is genocide." But if Israel is attempting to commit genocide in Gaza, they are failing. Genocide is the purposeful annihilation of a population. In 1948 there were about 160,000 Arabs living in this land. Today there are almost 6,000,000. This is the same dangerous narrative, and lie, being pushed by many on the left. In fact, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide at the UN, was recently dismissed from her post because she stated that Israel was not committing genocide in Gaza -- a fact that did not fit with the UN's anti-Israel narrative. To be clear, Hamas started this war, not Israel. Every death in Gaza lies at the feet of Hamas. These academics also demonized Israel as a settler colonial state, delegitimizing the very existence of the state of Israel. My question is, how can a native become a settler? Since the second Millenium BCE, Jews have lived within the borders of present-day Israel as well as Gaza, Judea, and Samaria. Dig anywhere in these areas and you will find ancient Jewish artifacts. Open your Bible and you will learn the origins of the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic faiths.

The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote: "Antisemitism is the world's most reliable early warning sign of a major threat to freedom, humanity, and the dignity of difference. It matters to all of us. Which is why we must fight it together."

Fight together indeed. I am grateful that Senator Katie Britt, not these four out-of-touch professors, represents the great State of Alabama. Senator Britt leads boldly, speaks plain truth, and has the courage to fight for what's right.