Amid campus protests, I'm obligated to never let a falsehood stand unchallenged - opinion

In July 2014, I traveled to Israel with my grandpa. He used to go at least once a year to recite memorial prayers for his parents. My great-grandparents are buried in Jerusalem, on the crest of Mount Olives.

After the first flight, we learned our second flight had been delayed. The airport in Tel Aviv had to clear airspace due to incoming rockets. While we waited for an update, he realized I was nervous and started small talk. After a few minutes, I noticed he was undisturbed. I suggested looking for a nearby hotel, and he confidently replied, "We'll be in Israel by the evening," adding in Yiddish, "Es vet zein gut" - "Everything will be fine."

Yes, my grandpa was born in Warsaw. I assume the banner on campus instructing "Go back to Poland" is directed to my kind. At best, the author erroneously believes Jewish presence in Israel started in 1948. At worst, he is conscious of the gas chambers. And yes, my grandpa was a Zionist, a Golden Generation one, morally identical to David Ben-Gurion or Shimon Peres. He saw Jewish self-determination as non-negotiable, loved his religion, and was proud of his culture. I got that from him.

Contrary to the campus-fashionable narrative, Zionism is not racist, colonialist, or imperialist. It is a strive to stop a cycle of persecution of Jews triggered by being a minority everywhere. It recognizes that Judaism originated in Judea and asserts that if Jews are to have a state, it should most reasonably be where they had it twice before. Campus pundits wouldn't know, but Zionism is not mutually exclusive with the coexistence of a Palestinian state - most Jews accepted a partition plan in 1947 and still do today.

Zionism, however, is concerned with the preservation of Jews and their safety. It knows peace and can work with former foes, even after grave tensions. Anwar Sadat and King Hussein can attest. They got peace with Israel once they sought it. What Zionism cannot do is unilaterally declare peace and retreat to wishful thinking, ignoring terrorism at its borders. And what we cannot do is stay put when the environment is becoming grim. A STUDENT protester waves a Palestinian flag above Hamilton Hall on the campus of Columbia University in New York, in late April. (credit: MARY ALTAFFER/REUTERS)

I have full sympathy for innocent people in Gaza. They deserve the human dignity afforded to anyone else. At the same time, I have zero sympathy for whimsical teenagers linking Israel to almost every cause of worldwide violence. I am outraged by students and outside agitators who stage a performative farce on campus, disseminating lies like a banner that reads "Israel funds Mexican cartels."

In light of the recent events, I believe it's fair to recognize a problem. One that arises when fringe revisionists surpass a handful and become a loud minority. Aided by persistent propaganda and most likely Russian bots, young people with kind hearts are misled to believe they can vindicate a record of assorted historical wrongs by opposing Israel.

In their view, Israel is a colonial creation rather than history-rooted self-preservation. These young people see a natural link between Zionism and intergenerational prejudice. Their scapegoating is reinforced through 10-second videos of infuriating messages and complete disregard for the source. Hence, October 7 becomes resistance, murder is justified, and rape could or could not be wrong - depending upon the context.

I have seen many intelligent people fall prey to this trap. A classmate from law school posted a picture of a swastika inscribed inside a Star of David, thinking it was not antisemitic but rightful. A business school peer compared female Israeli reserve soldiers to SS officers, thinking viewers would see a connection rather than madness. I saw students take down posters of kidnapped toddlers and protesters wearing Hamas headbands. I heard disruptive chants from speakers calling to "globalize the intifada," all at a top-tier American university.

It pains me to say it, but almost one year after my grandpa died, I am quietly relieved he is no longer alive. Seeing the reaction educated people had to the events of October 7 would have revived his worst fears. Based on how much he cared about his grandchildren, I know he would have died in worry rather than in peace.

And precisely due to my heritage, I feel an immense commitment to ensure the safety of my kindred. An obligation to never let a falsehood stand unchallenged, even if that means losing old friends or unsubscribing from The New York Times. A duty to ensure authorities enforce the law, even if the law is out of favor. A responsibility to tell my wife "Everything will be fine," just like my grandpa told me that day, back in 2014, while we were en route to Israel.

The writer is a graduate student at the Kellogg School of Management and Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.

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