Columbia Prof.: ‘Pains Me to Say’ I Wouldn’t Be ‘That Comfortable’ with My Child Wearing a Yarmulke on Campus

ENTIN I want to ░░░░░░░░ in the host of ░░░░░░░░ Young Turks Cenk Uygur ░░░░░░░░ Columbia professor Hagar Chemali ░░░░░░░░ joins us tonight Thank ░░░░░░░░ both for being with ░░░░░░░░ Professor Chemali I want ░░░░░░░░ start with you I ░░░░░░░░ out there today and ░░░░░░░░ I would say we ░░░░░░░░ we weren t able ░░░░░░░░ go on the campus ░░░░░░░░ were very serious about ░░░░░░░░ letting us on We ░░░░░░░░ look through the gates ░░░░░░░░ were also protests out ░░░░░░░░ the street which is ░░░░░░░░ this video is of ░░░░░░░░ of the people I ░░░░░░░░ I guess you could ░░░░░░░░ them peaceful but then ░░░░░░░░ look around and there ░░░░░░░░ people in the crowd ░░░░░░░░ up signs with pictures ░░░░░░░░ terrorists on the signs ░░░░░░░░ there are anti Semitic ░░░░░░░░ happening out there You ░░░░░░░░ been on on the ░░░░░░░░ professor I mean do ░░░░░░░░ feel safe Do you ░░░░░░░░ unsafe CHEMALI Well I ░░░░░░░░ you ve hit the ░░░░░░░░ on the head Just ░░░░░░░░ of protest is peaceful ░░░░░░░░ seems peaceful because people ░░░░░░░░ t throwing things doesn ░░░░░░░░ mean that they re ░░░░░░░░ inciting violence that they ░░░░░░░░ not spewing hatred or ░░░░░░░░ Semitic remarks that they ░░░░░░░░ not creating an environment ░░░░░░░░ s extremely hostile and ░░░░░░░░ for everybody Now me ░░░░░░░░ to answer your question ░░░░░░░░ didn t feel unsafe ░░░░░░░░ the campus I was ░░░░░░░░ on Saturday there were ░░░░░░░░ lot of protests during ░░░░░░░░ day and night I ░░░░░░░░ t feel physically threatened ░░░░░░░░ felt deeply uncomfortable However ░░░░░░░░ I had a child ░░░░░░░░ example who wore a ░░░░░░░░ on campus I really ░░░░░░░░ t think I would ░░░░░░░░ that comfortable with him ░░░░░░░░ the campus right now ░░░░░░░░ that pains me to ░░░░░░░░ that For the protests ░░░░░░░░ the gate which are ░░░░░░░░ non students those protests ░░░░░░░░ did not feel comfortable ░░░░░░░░ by at all They ░░░░░░░░ scare me I would ░░░░░░░░ feel safe going by ░░░░░░░░ They were spewing a ░░░░░░░░ of hatred and vitriol ░░░░░░░░ Jews they were telling ░░░░░░░░ to go back to ░░░░░░░░ they were calling them ░░░░░░░░ things of this kind ░░░░░░░░ made me that protest ░░░░░░░░ me feel extremely unsafe ░░░░░░░░ Cenk the young woman ░░░░░░░░ I interviewed today I ░░░░░░░░ what hit me the ░░░░░░░░ was she said Well ░░░░░░░░ ve been okay because ░░░░░░░░ don t really look ░░░░░░░░ Jewish It s my ░░░░░░░░ who look more Jewish ░░░░░░░░ are having problems She ░░░░░░░░ to me I can ░░░░░░░░ of pass I mean ░░░░░░░░ is 2024 New York ░░░░░░░░ How is it appropriate ░░░░░░░░ these kids feel like ░░░░░░░░ Cenk UYGUR Yeah well ░░░░░░░░ I think that this ░░░░░░░░ has been enormously on ░░░░░░░░ to be honest So ░░░░░░░░ I concerned about it ░░░░░░░░ I am I saw ░░░░░░░░ or three videos that ░░░░░░░░ definitely problematic and one ░░░░░░░░ them was a kid ░░░░░░░░ wearing a star of ░░░░░░░░ they started calling him ░░░░░░░░ Zionist We called it ░░░░░░░░ on our show The ░░░░░░░░ Turks today I ve ░░░░░░░░ a nephew that s ░░░░░░░░ to a different college ░░░░░░░░ had a similar situation ░░░░░░░░ he has a star ░░░░░░░░ David he happens to ░░░░░░░░ Jewish and they were ░░░░░░░░ your about it I ░░░░░░░░ that stuff I think ░░░░░░░░ anti Semitism is the ░░░░░░░░ thing in the world ░░░░░░░░ re all human beings ░░░░░░░░ all peace protesters should ░░░░░░░░ that better than anyone ░░░░░░░░ Having said that the ░░░░░░░░ majority of protests that ░░░░░░░░ been going on for ░░░░░░░░ months 99 9 percent ░░░░░░░░ them have been peaceful ░░░░░░░░ actually wonderful open hearted ░░░░░░░░ minded people who are ░░░░░░░░ to save lives of ░░░░░░░░ innocent Palestinians that have ░░░░░░░░ killed by the Israeli ░░░░░░░░ Forces And I thought ░░░░░░░░ was ironic that Israeli ░░░░░░░░ are talking about Oh ░░░░░░░░ re for genocide No ░░░░░░░░ Israel s doing the ░░░░░░░░ right now So ENTIN ░░░░░░░░ Israel is not targeting ░░░░░░░░ But how can you ░░░░░░░░ Israel is doing the ░░░░░░░░ They re not targeting ░░░░░░░░ Laughs Come on are ░░░░░░░░ serious ENTIN Have they ░░░░░░░░ mistakes Of course But ░░░░░░░░ you think of genocide ░░░░░░░░ the Holocaust they were ░░░░░░░░ out a whole population ░░░░░░░░ people Israel s not ░░░░░░░░ civilians That s genocide ░░░░░░░░ t it UYGUR Yeah ░░░░░░░░ So let me explain ░░░░░░░░ I mean So first ░░░░░░░░ all there s a ░░░░░░░░ between genocide and Holocaust ░░░░░░░░ is when you try ░░░░░░░░ kill everyone in the ░░░░░░░░ Genocide is when you ░░░░░░░░ a particular race or ░░░░░░░░ in whole or in ░░░░░░░░ Srebrenica was a genocide ░░░░░░░░ 6 000 Muslims were ░░░░░░░░ by the Serbs So ░░░░░░░░ s clear they are ░░░░░░░░ Palestinians in whole or ░░░░░░░░ part it s absolutely ░░░░░░░░ definition of genocide Second ░░░░░░░░ all the idea that ░░░░░░░░ has made 34 000 ░░░░░░░░ that they re the ░░░░░░░░ incompetent military in the ░░░░░░░░ of the world is ░░░░░░░░ mean if it wasn ░░░░░░░░ so tragic it would ░░░░░░░░ hilarious So even if ░░░░░░░░ say there are some ░░░░░░░░ and of course there ░░░░░░░░ among some of the ░░░░░░░░ 000 killed but we ░░░░░░░░ for sure that at ░░░░░░░░ 25 000 are women ░░░░░░░░ children Are you making ░░░░░░░░ absurd claim that Israel ░░░░░░░░ 25 000 times and ░░░░░░░░ they were all accidents ░░░░░░░░ of course they are ░░░░░░░░ the civilians and anyone ░░░░░░░░ eyes can see that ░░░░░░░░ a chant about a ░░░░░░░░ X Y or Z ░░░░░░░░ actual tens of thousands ░░░░░░░░ people being killed just ░░░░░░░░ in Rafah Israel killed ░░░░░░░░ more innocent people and ░░░░░░░░ of them were children ░░░░░░░░ s worse a chant ░░░░░░░░ 18 dead children ENTIN ░░░░░░░░ listen if you CHEMALI ░░░░░░░░ have to jump in ░░░░░░░░ this question of genocide ░░░░░░░░ Go ahead professor CHEMALI ░░░░░░░░ m sorry as a ░░░░░░░░ policy expert and I ░░░░░░░░ worked in I ve ░░░░░░░░ in foreign policy literally ░░░░░░░░ entire life and I ░░░░░░░░ in national security in ░░░░░░░░ U S government for ░░░░░░░░ years including in counterterrorism ░░░░░░░░ including in wars and ░░░░░░░░ you have the definition ░░░░░░░░ genocide right the Israeli ░░░░░░░░ in my view and ░░░░░░░░ the U S government ░░░░░░░░ view and I would ░░░░░░░░ with them he s ░░░░░░░░ committing genocide because there ░░░░░░░░ no demonstration of intent ░░░░░░░░ An intent usually shows ░░░░░░░░ there is a plan ░░░░░░░░ a plot to systematically ░░░░░░░░ out or ethnically cleanse ░░░░░░░░ group of people and ░░░░░░░░ is not what s ░░░░░░░░ Now we can debate ░░░░░░░░ approach the military strategy ░░░░░░░░ the difference in values ░░░░░░░░ s certainly a significant ░░░░░░░░ in values that you ░░░░░░░░ between for example the ░░░░░░░░ S military and how ░░░░░░░░ approach war versus the ░░░░░░░░ military And so I ░░░░░░░░ t mean to say ░░░░░░░░ I approve of how ░░░░░░░░ Israeli military has gone ░░░░░░░░ everything in Gaza and ░░░░░░░░ think it ll I ░░░░░░░░ they re only pushing ░░░░░░░░ into the arms of ░░░░░░░░ enemy but genocide is ░░░░░░░░ actually accurate from many ░░░░░░░░ policy experts views And ░░░░░░░░ would hazard to say ░░░░░░░░ the way the idea ░░░░░░░░ the Israeli military is ░░░░░░░░ not competent is they ░░░░░░░░ what we used to ░░░░░░░░ in the U S ░░░░░░░░ was they showed a ░░░░░░░░ of discipline But if ░░░░░░░░ weren t that competent ░░░░░░░░ certainly wouldn t have ░░░░░░░░ able to deflect nearly ░░░░░░░░ missile coming at them ░░░░░░░░ Iran only a week ░░░░░░░░ ENTIN Yeah 99 percent ░░░░░░░░ Chemali I want to ░░░░░░░░ back to Columbia for ░░░░░░░░ second I just want ░░░░░░░░ ask something UYGUR But ░░░░░░░░ a minute ENTIN Okay ░░░░░░░░ ahead UYGUR Do you ░░░░░░░░ that you re making ░░░░░░░░ point for me Of ░░░░░░░░ the Israeli military is ░░░░░░░░ that incompetent They re ░░░░░░░░ competent That s why ░░░░░░░░ don t believe they ░░░░░░░░ 25 000 mistakes when ░░░░░░░░ killed all those women ░░░░░░░░ children So you say ░░░░░░░░ have when Hamas kills ░░░░░░░░ some odd civilians and ░░░░░░░░ they also killed soldiers ░░░░░░░░ well those 800 civilians ░░░░░░░░ all intended to be ░░░░░░░░ But when Israel kills ░░░░░░░░ 30 000 civilians you ░░░░░░░░ No no intent Magically ░░░░░░░░ intent They are just ░░░░░░░░ they just can t ░░░░░░░░ straight They just keep ░░░░░░░░ That s absurd Of ░░░░░░░░ that there s a ░░░░░░░░ called Where s Daddy ░░░░░░░░ they wait for a ░░░░░░░░ militant to come home ░░░░░░░░ they murder his family ░░░░░░░░ with him ENTIN Listen ░░░░░░░░ will continue the conversation ░░░░░░░░ s obviously a complicated ░░░░░░░░ one But back to ░░░░░░░░ professor you know I ░░░░░░░░ there today There is ░░░░░░░░ a tent city There ░░░░░░░░ an occupation with hundreds ░░░░░░░░ these protesters who are ░░░░░░░░ out on the lawn ░░░░░░░░ your campus They ve ░░░░░░░░ their own constitution I ░░░░░░░░ a picture They have ░░░░░░░░ re not planning to ░░░░░░░░ any time soon and ░░░░░░░░ university isn t doing ░░░░░░░░ about it So we ░░░░░░░░ get back to it ░░░░░░░░ Professor Hagar Chemali and ░░░░░░░░ Uygur thank you so ░░░░░░░░ for joining us We ░░░░░░░░ it.”
UYGUR: “Thank you.”