New York University student paper joins in “anti-Semitism” witch-hunt against critics of Israel
By
Josh Varlin and Sandy English
13 March 2019
On March 7, the Washington Square News (WSN), New York University’s student newspaper, removed from its website a witch-hunting article published on March 5 that equated criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, and criticism of the Trump administration with fascistic violence. The article began, “Women’s March Co-Chair and accused anti-Semite Linda Sarsour is set to speak at Skirball [Center for the Performing Arts] later this month,” and continued from there to accuse Sarsour of “anti-Semitism” on the basis of a crude amalgam because one of Sarsour’s co-chairs attended an event where Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan gave an anti-Semitic speech.
The only NYU student quoted by the WSN’s original article is a representative from TorchPAC, a Zionist club. Based on the flimsy claim that Sarsour is an anti-Semite because an associate attended an anti-Semitic speech, the WSN likens Sarsour to fascistic street gang leader Gavin McInnes and far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos. There was no statement from the Asian/Pacific/American Institute at NYU, which invited Sarsour to speak, nor was it reported that Sarsour’s speech, on refugees and immigration, is co-sponsored by Jewish Voice for Peace.
WSN Editor-in-Chief Sakshi Venkatraman admitted the piece “was written with a clear bias” and “was sensationalist and wrong.” Venkatraman also acknowledged that the comparison to McInnes and Yiannopoulos “was clearly a reach—and disrespectful.”
NYU students were quick to oppose the original article. One comment on the original Facebook post said, “… didn’t think this publication could get shittier…