I wish we could trust the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to be tracking true antisemitism and not anti-Israelism. Likewise I mistrust State Sen. John Velis’ intentions in creating the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism. For these reasons I am disturbed by the May 1 front page article in the Recorder, “Antisemitic incidents remain up,” with the subtitle, “Reports climb most steeply on college campuses.”

I don’t believe it when the ADL asserts that they don’t conflate anti-Israel activism with antisemitism. I think the ADL and Velis’ commission do conflate pro-Palestine college protests against Israel’s actions with anti-Jewish prejudice. I believe they do this purposefully in order to smear the protests and to cover up the atrocities committed by Israel.

I would like to see an official task force focus on white nationalists who are truly dangerous, armed with weapons and hate, and definitely antisemitic. (Remember their Unite the Right march in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017). Instead, the ADL and Velis seem intent on quelling criticism of Israel and have made the students their target.

But the students have done their homework. They know a genocide when they see one, and they know Israel’s history of violently expelling Palestinians from their ancestral lands, known as settler colonialism. The students are idealistic, smart and brave, and are risking their careers to speak up for ending the oppressive occupation of Palestine. The students also call out U.S. support that allows Israel to achieve its goal of a state without Palestinians.

Many of the college protesters identify as Jewish and uphold Jewish values of justice and equality. How can they be antisemitic?

Sherrill Hogen, peace activist and advocate for Palestine liberation

Charlemont