One week ago on Nov. 7, innocent Israeli soccer fans were sought out and brutally attacked after the Maccabi Tel Aviv team played against Ajax in Amsterdam. The relentless attackers shouted “Free Palestine” before going after fans in the street, some of them even going as far as pushing them into canals, beating them and severely injuring many. While there were reports of aggressive chanting by Israeli fans before the game — a sad reality in soccer worldwide — this in no way justifies the violent pogrom against Jews in Amsterdam, especially considering that the attack was allegedly preplanned and coordinated through a Telegram group.
Just two days before the anniversary of Kristallnacht, when Nazis shattered Jewish-owned stores, looting and stealing their goods, the mob in Amsterdam hunted Jews, demanded people reveal their nationality and even stole Israeli passports. Such attacks on Jews globally are intrinsically connected to the escalating rhetoric seen on college campuses, where anti-Israel and often antisemitic ideologies are mainstreamed and normalized.
This is far from acceptable. Attacking innocent Jews will not and has never freed Palestine. College students love to use the slogan “by any means necessary,” but this ignorant and hateful slogan is exactly what the mob’s reasoning was, as well. Shai Davidai, an outspoken pro-Israel professor at Columbia University, said it perfectly — “There’s a direct link between Jews being beat up in Amsterdam, Jews being vilified on college campuses, and Jews being held hostage by Hamas. It’s called globalizing the Intifada.” How can these college protesters claim that universities supporting Israel have blood on their hands while echoing the same chants and ideologies as mobs attacking innocent Jews?
Before the soccer game, another antisemitic incident took place in Belgium, in which a video reveals attackers shouting “Free Palestine” while assaulting a Jewish individual, according to reports. Authorities in Antwerp have since reported social media calls for a “Jew hunt” and other efforts to rally youth toward the Jewish Quarter. This again, shows the “justification” for violence in the name of justice. The pogrom in Amsterdam was not an isolated incident and these brutal attacks will continue to happen if normalized by the public. If anything, protesters are undermining their cause by using innocent Palestinian lives as a cover for hate and antisemitism. It is essential protesters separate from tormenting innocent Jews worldwide in the name of criticizing the Israeli government. Doing so leads many, including myself, to question the legitimacy of anti-Zionism as anything but an excuse for blatant Jew hatred.
On July 3, the @sunybds Instagram posted a flier with “Globalize The Intifada” on top in which our very own Binghamton Students for Justice in Palestine was tagged. As a Jew on campus, this is terrifying. The only thing “justice warriors” on college campuses are promoting is hate and intolerance. The brutal assault in Amsterdam on Nov. 7 was antisemitic and violent, just as the attacks of Oct. 7. SJP chapters, just like Binghamton’s own, have tried tirelessly to pass Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions from a group that praised the Oct. 7 attack as “heroic” and “justified.” That is the problem with these groups who, by their use of such rhetoric, reflect the same dangerous mindset that fuels violent mobs.
College campuses play a critical role in shaping perceptions and influencing public opinion, in addition to social media. When hateful rhetoric becomes normalized, or even glorified within academic settings, it caters to an environment that values extremist ideologies. This normalization, under the mask of activism, creates a space where students and organizations feel empowered to voice ideas that can lead to real-world harm. Universities, administrations and students must recognize the powerful influence of their environment and take action to promote respective dialogue. Failure to do so risks allowing educational institutions to serve as breeding grounds for dangerous ideologies with deadly global consequences.
The impact of hateful rhetoric goes far beyond just words — when antisemitic slogans like “From the river to the sea” are chanted on campuses, they act as a call for violence and erasure of the Land of Israel and by extension, the Jewish people. This rhetoric is not isolated but goes far beyond academic institutions, fueling prejudice and validating violence worldwide. Hate speech, specifically in the form of chants and slogans that signal aggression toward Jewish people, contributes to an environment that justifies and normalizes brutality. Academic institutions cannot ignore the direct link between words on their campus and their potential to incite violence — they must instead hold individuals accountable and promote dialogue that builds understanding rather than hatred.
Rebecca Szlechter is a junior with an individualized major in journalism and public relations.
Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.