Colleges could benefit from taking a data-driven look at hostility toward Jews on campus

Around 15% of non-Jewish students at these schools tend to express extreme hostility toward Israel. They deny its right to exist at all and are unwilling to be friends with anyone who thinks differently. Even though these students display no explicit animus to Jews, their hostility to Israel’s very existence is so intense that it poisons interactions with Jewish peers — since virtually all Jewish students find this view to be antisemitic.

Another group of students, also around 15% of the non-Jewish population at these schools, are willing to endorse explicitly anti-Jewish beliefs like “Jews have too much power in America.” However, they do not seem to be deeply motivated by political criticism of Israel’s government. They are most likely to endorse anti-Israel rhetoric such as the assertion that “supporters of Israel control the media,” which echoes traditional anti-Jewish conspiracy theories.

Better data leads to better debates

Better data will not magically solve antisemitism on campus. Neither will it resolve Islamophobia, or broader issues of how universities deal with this politically polarized moment. But we believe that it can help faculty and key stakeholders confront these challenges more productively.

Developing a better understanding of Jewish students’ concerns about antisemitism, and what “antisemitism” means to those students, can help administrators appreciate the scope and nature of the problem. Understanding the views of non-Jewish students can help administrators in crafting effective solutions.

A new year

As the war in the Middle East enters its second year, the issues that sparked protests are not likely to end. Universities still need to find a way to support Jewish students while upholding principles of free expression, and faculty will need to think about how to teach and talk about contentious topics. As we see, using systematic data to understand the perspective of all students – not just those with the loudest voices – should be a priority for higher education institutions whose missions it is to create and disseminate knowledge.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.