Yinam Cohen: Northwestern's approach to fighting antisemitism creates an artificial balance

Chicago Tribune

14-02-2025

The U.S. Department of Education recently announced an investigation of five universities that have failed to protect their Jewish students. I am pleased to see the U.S. administration's determination to combat antisemitism in all walks of life, including on university campuses. However, I was saddened to see Northwestern University among these five institutions under investigation. Saddened, but not surprised.
Last year, Northwestern stood out as one of the few universities in the country where an agreement was reached with the anti-Israel, and in many cases, antisemitic encampments on campus. I harshly criticized this agreement, driven personally by Northwestern President Michael Schill, as did leading Jewish and civic organizations. This agreement also led to the resignation of the very committee that Schill had previously established to address antisemitism at NU.
Over the past months, I have been in contact with Northwestern's leadership to discuss how the university can enhance its efforts to address harassment, intimidation, exclusion and discrimination against Jewish, Israeli and pro-Israeli students. These individuals suffered bias and hostility, not just from their peers, but also from faculty members.
This past December, I was encouraged to learn that Northwestern added new components to its anti-bias training to address rising antisemitism. However, I was also somewhat surprised by the way the university framed it. The email sent by Northwestern stated that the new components would address 'antisemitic, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian biases.'
I am fully committed to fighting all forms of bias, including anti-Muslim and anti-Arab sentiments and their derivatives. However, facts matter. According to FBI data and city of Chicago reports from the past two years, Jews have been one of the most targeted groups for hate crimes in the country. In Chicago, Jews were the most targeted group for hate crimes.
While it is clearly essential to address all forms of bias, Northwestern's approach creates an artificial balance between combating Jew hatred and addressing 'anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian biases.' This misguided move appears to be driven, once again, by a desire to appease the anti-Israel sentiment among some members of the campus community. Combating antisemitism should not come at the cost of distorting reality or creating false equivalences. You cannot fight bias by creating further biases. This approach is not data-driven or fact-based — it undermines the integrity of the fight against all forms of discrimination.
Northwestern is one of the world's leading research institutions and a source of pride for the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois. I deeply appreciate the partnerships it has established with Israel's top academic and research institutions — collaborations that drive innovation, advance groundbreaking research and create real-world solutions to global challenges. These partnerships benefit not only Americans and Israelis but also contribute to scientific and technological advancements that improve lives worldwide. Strengthening these ties will further enhance opportunities for cutting-edge discoveries, knowledge exchange and a shared commitment to academic excellence.
However, there is still much more to be done in uprooting the inherent anti-Israeli — and in some cases, anti-Jewish — biases across the campus, particularly among some of its faculty members and students.
Northwestern must take meaningful action to ensure the safety and well-being of all its students, regardless of their backgrounds. The fight against bias and discrimination must be rooted in genuine commitment, not empty statements. It is time for the university to lead by example, setting a standard for others to follow in creating a truly inclusive and respectful environment for all.
Northwestern should be making headlines for its groundbreaking academic accomplishments — not for its failure to confront Jew hatred head-on. It must show the same boldness in tackling antisemitism that it shows in pursuing academic excellence. Hesitation and half-measures will only embolden those who seek to marginalize Jews on campus.