From the River to…Where?

By: Cheryl Hauer, International Vice President

Professor Ron Hassner, Israel studies chair at the University of California, rattled a few academic cages in a recent widely quoted article where he stated, “There’s no shame in being ignorant unless one is screaming for the extermination of millions.”

The comment was both a harsh indictment of an ineffective educational system that has left countless young people vulnerable to historical revisionism and a critical comment on the current reality that lack of foundation has created.

Hassner’s article referenced the ongoing response to the war raging in the Gaza Strip. On October 7, thousands of Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel and embarked on a killing spree of such savagery that the Western world was left stunned and aghast. As reports of the horrors of that carefully-planned attack hit the news, the global reaction was strongly in support of the actions Israel would take to defend itself. And as Hamas spokesmen proudly broadcasted their intent to carry out similar massacres all over Israel, leaders around the world sent messages of support and condolence to the Israeli government. Many of them made strong public statements in support of Israel’s right and obligation to protect its citizens.

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