Arnie Fielkow, former CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, joined WWL's Newell Normand to give a new perspective on the protests plaguing college campuses across the country.
And he wondered 'what's it all about -- really?'
"It's very disturbing, both as a member of the Jewish community, but just as an individual, to see what's going on," Fielkow said. "I really wonder at times, is it really about, you know, Palestinian rights or is it just hate towards Israel, hate for Jewish people? Because, you know, I see these signs, you know, cease fire. Well, and do people realize that the the terrorist group Hamas has rejected dozens and dozens of overtures where Israel has offered a cease fire? They don't want it."
He added that while students shut down college buildings, block traffic and cause mayhem, Israel has a deal on the table with Hamas, through the brokerage of Egypt and Qatar and others, for a cease fire, not even for just six weeks, but much longer than that. Palestinian prisoners would be released in return for hostages that are being held still seven months into this.
"And again, where is Hamas? They don't want it," he said.
He suggested that before people start breaking into buildings and building encampments, they take the time to really understand the issues in the Middle East.
"It's important for people to get educated, to understand the history, the geography, you know, rather than just some of the candidly, very ignorant statements that are being made both here in our own market with some of our media, but but elsewhere, at least be aware and know what's going on," Fielkow said.
He added that nobody wants to see the deaths of innocent people, and nobody wants to see famine. The Jewish community is 100% behind human relief, he said, but when it comes to Hamas you're dealing with a terrorist organization who hides behind schools, mosques, hospitals, in tunnels.
"I mean, it's disgusting," Fielkow said. "I mean, the October 7th events are truthfully the worst event to the Jewish people since the Holocaust. I don't I hope people have seen the videos at least read. I mean, you're talking about atrocities in the all of rapes and beheadings and burnings, that human beings would honestly, outside of the Nazis, you would never think that humanity would ever bring us to that point, as well as the capture of of several hundred hostages, which, you know, more than 100 are still being held right now, seven months into it. And, it's just terrible."
People have the right to protest in America, he added, that's a First Amendment right. "But you don't have the right to disrupt. You don't have the right to break into campuses, and you certainly don't have the right, you know, to to be shouting and showing hate speech, you know, kill the Jews, send them back to Poland, River to the sea. This is hate language, okay? This is anti-Semitism from, you know, candidly, the 1930s in Europe and Germany."
Newell said that it's hard to believe these universities are just rolling over and accepting it, negotiating with the students who are taking over buildings and shutting down a very expensive educational system. "The leaders of universities, you would think that that they would be better trained, maybe even more trained in leadership, credible leadership, crisis management," Normand said. "And I just see so many universities that they're just not doing it. I mean, that they're setting arbitrary deadlines and then walking away from it like their own animal house."