Harvard adopts controversial IHRA antisemitism definition Harvard's acceptance of IHRA definition settles discrimination case brought by students who said pro-Palestine protests were antisemitic Students from MIT, Harvard University and others rally at a protest encampment on MIT's Kresge Lawn in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on 22 April 2024 (Scott Eisen/Getty Images via AFP) By MEE staff Published date: 22 January 2025 20:07 GMT | Last update: 2 weeks 6 days ago 329 Shares facebook sharing buttontwitter sharing buttonwhatsapp sharing buttonmessenger sharing buttonemail sharing buttonsharethis sharing button Harvard University has agreed to accept the controversial International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, after settling a lawsuit from Jewish students who accused other students of harassment during pro-Palestine protests on campus in 2024. The student group, Students Against Antisemitism, filed a complaint in January 2024 in a court in Boston, saying that Harvard was failing to protect them under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, a law that prohibits any school from receiving federal funding from discriminating against anyone based on race, colour or national origin. The complaint cited last year's pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's war on Gaza as the source of antisemitic rhetoric from other students. Middle East Eye has previously reported on these accusations of antisemitism against pro-Palestinian protesters at US universities, which often conflate support for Palestinian rights with antisemitism. As a part of Harvard's settlement of the case brought by Students Against Antisemitism, the university has agreed to use the IHRA definition of antisemitism when applying its non-discrimination and anti-bullying policies. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Your email "This resolution includes specific, meaningful actions to combat antisemitism, hate and bias on college campuses that illustrate the University’s strong commitment to further protecting their Jewish and Israeli community," Marc Kasowitz of Kasowitz Benson Torres, LLP, from the counsel for Students Against Antisemitism said in a statement. The controversial IHRA definition was formulated in 2004 and published in 2005 by antisemitism expert Kenneth Stern in collaboration with other academics from the American Jewish Committee, a pro-Israel advocacy organisation founded at the beginning of the 20th century and based in New York. Critics say some of the examples provided in the definition conflate antisemitism with criticism of historical policies that led to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 - known to the Palestinians as the Nakba or "catastrophe". The Antisemitism Awareness Act is a full frontal assault on free speech Read More » During the Nakba, hundreds of thousands of indigenous Palestinians were expelled from their homes by Zionist paramilitaries. Critics also say the definition conflates antisemitism with criticism of current Israeli policies against Palestinians, such as human rights abuses and the occupation by Israel. The IHRA definition was adopted by the first Trump administration in 2019, and was reaffirmed by the Biden administration. Harvard also said it would provide training on "combating antisemitism" and that its Office for Community Conduct would incorporate the IHRA definition when reviewing complaints of discrimination. The move by Harvard follows other similar measures implemented by leading US universities to prevent any criticism of Zionism. In August 2024, New York University declared Zionists a "protected class". In response to Israel's war on Gaza that began after the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023, thousands of university students across the US began organising protests against the war. Many of those protests evolved into concerted efforts to call on their institutions to defund any financial stakes in companies profiting from Israel's war, which has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians. In many cases, the protests were met with harsh responses from university administrations, and in some cases police were called in to forcefully remove protesters. Over the past academic year, schools have adopted more forceful measures aimed at curbing any protests against Israel, including issuing new speech guidelines and incorporating surveillance tactics against student organisers.
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Nobody is telling you how FUCKED every military on Earth just became. Everyone is watching the war. The missiles flying. The explosions. Nobody is talking about the fact that Israel just made missiles OBSOLETE. The Iron Beam. A 100-kilowatt laser. Deployed in LIVE COMBAT for the first time in human history. Not a test. Not a prototype. Real war. Real Iranian missiles. Destroyed in mid-air. By a beam of light. → Cost per Iron Dome interceptor: $50,000 → Cost per Iron Beam shot: $2 → That is not a typo. Two. Dollars. Iran spent $20,000 building a drone. Israel deleted it with $2 of electricity. Iran fires 100 drones in a swarm attack. Cost to Iran: $2,000,000. Cost to Israel: $200. 💀 Here's what nobody is explaining to you: This doesn't just change THIS war. This changes ALL war. Forever. → Every missile Iran has ever built is now worthless scrap metal → Russia's entire missile stockpile? Obsolete overnight. → China's "carrier killer" ballistic missiles? The ones they spent $50,000,000,000 developing? Junk. → North Korea's only leverage — its missile program? Gone. → The Iron Beam never runs out of ammo. It runs on ELECTRICITY. → It fires at the speed of light. Nothing can dodge it. → It's silent. No explosion. The missile just vanishes. → Every country that invested in missiles just watched decades of military spending become worthless in real time. The US spent $200,000,000,000 on missile defense over 40 years. Israel just replaced it with a laser that costs less than a coffee per shot. This is not an upgrade. This is the end of an era. The age of missiles just died on live television and nobody is talking about it. Bookmark this. You're watching the biggest shift in military history since the atomic bomb.
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When people lose a political battle do they historicaly turn into angry yelling people as to deal with the loss Searching the web 48 results Yes, historically and psychologically, people (and groups) who lose a major political battle often respond with heightened anger, vocal outrage, yelling/protesting, resentment, and sometimes radicalization. This isn't universal—some accept defeat gracefully and move on—but it's a very common pattern across time, cultures, and ideologies. It's not just "sore losing"; it's a mix of emotional coping, group dynamics, and strategic behavior.Why this happensPsychological mechanisms: Political loss threatens identity, status, and worldview. Anger serves as a defense— it masks grief, fear, or helplessness, provides a sense of agency ("I'm fighting back!"), and bonds the "losers" together against the "winners." Resentment can feel empowering; it turns passive defeat into active narrative of injustice or betrayal. Scapegoating opponents (or "elites," "traitors," etc.) is classic. Contempt and rage can even be enjoyable in the short term as they elevate the self above the "enemy." Group polarization: In defeat, factions often radicalize. Moderates get sidelined, while louder, angrier voices dominate the conversation. This creates echo chambers where outrage is rewarded with attention, loyalty, and status within the group. "Radical loser" dynamic: Some thinkers describe how those who feel like societal or political "losers" adopt aggression as identity—lashing out to reclaim dignity or visibility. This shows up in both left- and right-wing movements after defeats. Historical examplesAncient & early modern: After military or political defeats (e.g., Athens condemning leaders like Phocion post-losses), losers often turned to bitter recriminations, purges, or mob anger. Grievance-fueled rebellions like Bacon's Rebellion (1676 Virginia) started with angry colonists feeling unprotected and ignored by authorities—leading to violence and burning the capital. U.S. history: The 1790s were full of rage—Whiskey Rebellion mobs tarred-and-feathered tax collectors; partisan newspapers accused opponents of betraying the Revolution. Post-Civil War, defeated Southern ex-Confederates channeled anger into Democratic Party resurgence, voter suppression, and Jim Crow. William Jennings Bryan's 1896 loss (and the Populist movement's collapse) saw agrarian "losers" fuel fiery rhetoric against "eastern elites," influencing later movements. 20th-century labor strikes or civil rights setbacks often involved angry protests turning confrontational. Recent patterns: Losers of elections frequently enter a "wilderness" phase of internal anger and finger-pointing. Examples include post-2016 progressive/Democratic infighting (some turning to strident resistance or identity-focused outrage), or post-2020 Trump supporters embracing "stolen election" narratives that fueled protests and threats. On the other side, losses have led to accusations of fascism or betrayal, with vocal media and street anger. Both sides show extremists using more negative, angry language than moderates. This pattern appears across the spectrum—left after economic/globalization "losses," right after cultural or foreign policy shifts, populists feeling like "globalization losers," etc. Anger often drives participation (protests, voting, organizing) but can also lead to violence, conspiracy thinking, or long-term bitterness if unresolved.Not always "yelling" foreverMany groups eventually adapt: they regroup, moderate, learn lessons, or win future battles. The U.S. survived the angry 1790s and became a stable nation. Populist energy from 1890s "losers" reshaped parties without destroying democracy. But unchecked, it can deepen polarization, erode trust, or spawn extremism.In short, yes—turning to loud, angry expressions is a frequent historical response to political loss. It helps process the pain and rally the faithful, but it risks becoming performative or destructive if it replaces constructive strategy. Humans are tribal; defeat stings, and yelling is one way we cope and signal we're not done fighting. The healthier paths (reflection, adaptation, bridge-building) exist but are harder in polarized times.
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