EVANSTON, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The head of a Jewish foundation at Northwestern University says a new, federal investigation into alleged antisemitism could help ease some tensions on campus.
Michael Simon has spent 14 years as Executive Director of Northwestern Hillel.
“We try to ensure that every Jewish student has both a safe space and a place to grow and be part of developing their Jewish identity while they’re figuring out who they are as human beings," he said.
This has become much more complex in the wake of the Hamas attacks in Israel and rising tensions in the Middle East, Simon added.
“The tension is a little higher,” he said. “People are sometimes getting the kind of ugliness that goes beyond just ‘I disagree with you’, but to anti-Israel that can sometimes flow into antisemitic tropes.”
Simon said word of a new federal investigation into Northwestern over complaints of antisemitism doesn’t come as a major surprise, but does generate new questions about how to improve the situation.
“I think outside pressure, when it’s constructive, can be helpful when the environment is challenging," he explained.
"Right now, we have a challenging environment. I have no idea whether this particular case is going to be helpful or not helpful.”
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