‘Totally Wrong’: CEO Of Prominent Jewish-Founded Organization Condemns ‘Anti-Semitism On The Left’

Demonstrations, particularly at colleges and universities since the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas against multiple locations in southern Israel saw protesters, some of whom were professors or students, make statements like “resistance is justified.” “It’s clear that the hardened anti-Zionists from the far left are the photo inverse of the white supremacists from the far right, and I mean, there is no argument any more than anti-Zionism is antisemitism,” Greenblatt, who leads the organization that was founded in 1913 to fight antisemitism, told CNN host Dana Bash.

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“ I mean that is as plain as day. And to think that extremism only comes from one side of the spectrum is a joke,” Greenblatt said. Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and other left-wing members of the House of Representatives known as “The Squad” released statements calling for a ceasefire almost immediately following the attacks that killed at least 1,400 Israelis and the capturing of over 200 hostages.

“I used to say that the antisemitism from the left, Dana, was like climate change, getting worse and worse, and it could create the conditions in which storms could happen, this is that category five hurricane,” Greenblatt added. “When Jewish people are being told to avoid kosher dining halls because other students want to, quote, ‘slit their throat.’”

At one Oct. 15 protest in support of Palestine, attendees chanted a slogan that had connotations of wiping out Israel after a Columbia University professor called the attacks “exhilarating.” Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) held demonstrations on Oct. 12 supporting Hamas.

“This is a moment of accountability, not just for universities, which by the way, are failing the test, this is a moment of accountability for America,” Greenblatt said. “No one should think that it is permissible because you don’t like policies in the Middle East to threaten violence and incite hate against your Jewish neighbors, your Jewish friends, your Jewish classmates.”

“I have got to say, this is a moment — this is not a moment just for Jews, this is a moment for everyone in America to say timeout, this is totally wrong,” Greenblatt said.