Column reminiscent of anti-Semitism

I am not accusing Philip Kurian of being anti-Semitic. However, I want to remind him that the attitude he takes toward Jews is more than vaguely reminiscent of the justifications used by numerous proponents of anti-Semitism throughout history. Hitler gained support during his rise to power by blaming the poverty in Germany on members of the “powerful Jewish establishment,” as Kurian puts it, who held jobs that “belonged” to Aryans.

Even in America, famous car manufacturer Henry Ford made a successful enterprise out of creating The Dearborn Independent, an anti-Semitic journal that discussed the “International Jew,” a supposed Jewish conspiracy to control all aspects of global society.

Furthermore, Kurian’s assertion of a “Holocaust industry” sounds more like David Duke than any self-proclaimed Jewish-American historian. Kurian also insists that Jews “have the right to move seamlessly between the majority and minority,” yet Joe Lieberman’s religion did not go unnoticed four years ago when he was a vice-presidential candidate.

Finally, Kurian says, “I do not ignore historic Jewish oppression or… anti-Semitic sentiments that still persist in America.” Yet without being Jewish and learning about the persecutions Jews have endured for the past 2,000-plus years (we were slaves, too, remember), he cannot fully understand how Jews feel about anti-Semitic or anti-Israeli attacks, just as I cannot possibly understand what he faces as an African-American.

If, as Kurian supposes, the KKK, or even an organization opposed to Affirmative Action, held a conference on campus, I would expect just as strong a counter-effort from Kurian and African-Americans as this campus saw from Jewish groups. I agree that Jews have a responsibility to confront inequality throughout the world, and as Kurian mentions, we have.

However, I take great offense at the notion that a Jewish establishment is taking advantage of the “Holocaust industry” to gain a “privilege,” and I am amazed that Kurian thinks peacefully presenting pro-Israel viewpoints, rather than staging disruptive protests, is such a terrible use of this “privilege.”

Robert Buechler