There’s an old saying that he who defines the terms wins the debate. That seems to be the case at Columbia University where both sides of the argument over anti-Semitism on campus are upset that the Task Force set up to deal with the issue has refused to accept a specific definition of anti-Semitism.
A Columbia University task force set up to combat antisemitism on campus in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks is attempting to avoid one of the most contentious issues in university debates over the war: Its members have refused to settle on what the definition of “antisemitism” is.
Competing factions on campus and beyond are pushing for two different definitions. The first, favored by the U.S. State Department and many supporters of Israel, says “targeting of the state of Israel” could be antisemitic, a definition that could label much of the pro-Palestinian activism…
