ANTI-SEMITISM RUNS RAMPANT ON US COLLEGE CAMPUSES

Gary Bauer talks about one place in the USA where anti-semitism sticks out in the worst way - the college/university. But he also notes it may be lessening:

Few topics provoke as much passion on America's college campuses as the constellation of issues surrounding Israel and Islamic terrorism.

On the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, I had an opportunity to discuss these issues in a speech before hundreds of college students. What I found gave me hope as a supporter of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. It may surprise many Americans, but anti-Semitism has slithered out from under its rock in Europe and across the globe.

Israel enjoys more support in the United States than it does in Europe. One exception has always been college campuses.

A 2011 study by the Institute for Jewish and Community Research found that more than 40 percent of 1,400 students surveyed said that anti-Semitism existed on their campus.

When I accepted an invitation to deliver a speech at the University of North Carolina for an event titled "Reflections on Sept. 11th," I assumed there would be trouble.

My apprehension grew when I heard that some professors at the school were not happy about my being invited to speak and that the anti-Israel Students for Justice in Palestine was planning to disrupt the event.

But my apprehension disappeared once I arrived on campus. There were a few demonstrators, and some heckling as I started my remarks. But I was welcomed by a huge turnout from the local community. The audience received my message openly.

There have been other reasons for hope lately. A 2014 report by the Anti-Defamation League found that "In the last decade we have witnessed a significant and encouraging decline in the number and intensity of anti-Semitic acts in America," including a "significant decrease" of incidents on campus.

I suppose this is reason to look more upbeat. But we still can't ignore how potential violence by anti-Israelists also lurks on these campuses, and it's something that has to be debated as well.