1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WVZ, Boston's news radio. 2 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:11,799 Speaker 2: I think everybody who was listening to this program over 3 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 2: the last year years, I should say, knows what my 4 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 2: position is on the state of Israel and upon anti 5 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:25,799 Speaker 2: Semitism generally. In the wake of what happened in Israel 6 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 2: in October of twenty twenty three, there was a commission 7 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 2: formed here in Massachusetts. It was a commission, a Special 8 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 2: Commission on combating anti Semitism, and they met for sixteen 9 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 2: public meetings between October twenty twenty four and last month. 10 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 2: Two hundred individuals testified, and anti Semitism is basically described 11 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 2: as hatred of Jews for being Jewish. With me now 12 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 2: is one of the members of that commission. There were 13 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 2: two members appointed by a Governor Haley and Governor Healey 14 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 2: excuse me, what am I saying, Mara Healey and one 15 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 2: of the two well, there were several commissioners here. Let 16 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 2: me make that very clear that we're on this committee. 17 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 2: But to one of the two commissioners appointed by Governor 18 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 2: Healey is with us now, Dave Friedman. Dave is someone 19 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 2: and someone who have known for a while. Amongst other things, 20 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 2: he is executive vice president of Legal and Government Affairs 21 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 2: and chief compliance officer with the Boston Red Sox. Dave Friedman, 22 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 2: Welcome to Nightside. How are you, sir, Dan? 23 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 3: How are you? Thank you so much for having me tonight. 24 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 4: I'll get to. 25 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 2: Brag on you a little bit. Dave is a very 26 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 2: successful lawyer, graduated from Harvard undergraduate Harvard Law School, president 27 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 2: of the Harvard Law Review, clerked for Federal Appeals Court 28 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 2: judge here in New England Michael Boudin and Supreme Court 29 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 2: then US Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens and uh 30 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 2: it so also the chair of the board of the 31 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 2: Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. So not only does he like the 32 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:13,920 Speaker 2: Red Sox with raucous crowds, but he also likes Shakespeare 33 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 2: on the Commons. So you are a renaissance man, mister Friedman. 34 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 2: How you You've done quite a bit in your time. 35 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 2: And on a more serious note, you would also served 36 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 2: as a first Assistant Attorney General here in Massachusetts, uh 37 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 2: and uh where you advise Attorney General then Attorney General 38 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 2: Martha Cokeley. But this was an important commission that you 39 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:44,079 Speaker 2: were tasked to participate on. We've all learned that anti 40 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 2: Semitism is probably much more prevalent than any of us 41 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 2: would would would have wanted. Give us give us the 42 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,079 Speaker 2: bottom line here, how much work has to be done 43 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 2: in Massachusetts before we get into the specific What did 44 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 2: the Commission find in terms of the level of anti 45 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:09,359 Speaker 2: Semitism that now exists in Massachusetts two years after that 46 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 2: horrific Saturday morning in Israel in October of twenty twenty three. 47 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 3: Dan, First, again, I want to thank you for having 48 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 3: me tonight, and I was reflecting, you know, thirteen years 49 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 3: ago I was here on your show, in my red 50 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 3: thoughts capacity talking about the one hundredth anniversary of Fenway Park, 51 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 3: And so you think, thirteen years ago, we're celebrating a 52 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 3: love affair between a city and a ballpark. I never, 53 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 3: in my wildest dreams would have thought, even two and 54 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 3: a half years ago, that I'd be devoting so much 55 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 3: of my time to fighting anti Semitism, and that I'd 56 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 3: be here with you talking about the world's oldest hatred. 57 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 3: And I don't have enough time. We don't have enough 58 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 3: time to recount everything in the Special Commission's report. But 59 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 3: let me try to cut to the chase of your answer. 60 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 3: This Commission was a great honor to serve on. There 61 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 3: were nineteen members. It was co chaired by two incredibly 62 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 3: great leaders. State Senator John Velis from Westfield. He is 63 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 3: not Jewish, but you couldn't find a stronger ally for 64 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 3: Jewish people. He's actually now deployed as a member of 65 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 3: the National Guard. And then State Representative Simon Cataldo, who's 66 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:19,599 Speaker 3: a rising star, although actually that's not true. He's already 67 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 3: risen a great leader in the House of Representatives. And 68 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 3: so we have this broad commission of members tasked with 69 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 3: this incredibly broad project try to understand anti Semitism in 70 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 3: Massachusetts and our findings, and it's all available on the 71 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 3: State Commission website if you just google Special Commission on 72 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 3: Commanding Anti Semitism. Of course, we have a bunch of 73 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 3: factual findings and we found that, in fact, as you said, 74 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 3: anti Semitism here in Massachusetts is a systemic problem. It's 75 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 3: very serious, it's pervasive. A lot of the response has 76 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 3: not been the same kind of response that we pride 77 00:04:56,520 --> 00:05:00,080 Speaker 3: ourselves in taking when it comes to other forms of hate. 78 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 3: And we found this. We focused on K through twelve education, 79 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 3: whether it's rural or urban districts, districts with very few 80 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 3: Jews or lots of Jews, and anti semitisms across It's 81 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 3: happening across the spectrum. You see the standard old right 82 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:20,599 Speaker 3: wing white supremacist version celebrating Hitler and swastikas, and we 83 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 3: see that in Massachusetts. Believe it or not, there's plenty 84 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 3: of examples. And it's also coming from the left, pro hamas, 85 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:33,799 Speaker 3: protesting and activism, which crosses a line into glorifying violence 86 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,600 Speaker 3: against Jews and demonizing Israel in a way that we 87 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 3: don't demonize any country. So what's the solution. I mean, 88 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:43,279 Speaker 3: if only it were that easy. But we have a 89 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 3: bunch of very concrete recommendations. Some of them are in education, 90 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 3: ranging from we recommend mandatory training for teachers and administrators. 91 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 3: What is anti Semitism. There's a lot of misunderstanding about 92 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 3: the nature of this hate. We certainly have of recommendations 93 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 3: on protocol for responding to incidents. When something's reported, you 94 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:07,280 Speaker 3: don't just brush it under the rug. There should be 95 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 3: clear communication to condemn that, clear protocol for reporting of incidents, 96 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 3: for treating it seriously with respect. Education, certainly, Holocaust education 97 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:20,719 Speaker 3: is a piece of the puzzle, but not the entire puzzle, 98 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 3: trying to promote civic discourse. We urge schools and employers 99 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 3: to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month in May, so the 100 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 3: whole range of things, And in doing this we try 101 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:35,359 Speaker 3: to pursue what we call the Massachusetts Way, which is 102 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 3: taking this very seriously, treating it just as seriously as 103 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 3: other forms of hate, and at the same time doing 104 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 3: that in a way that respects civil liberties, that understands 105 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 3: that the First Amendment is a bulwark that protects people's 106 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 3: speech rights, even sometimes when they're engaged in hate speech. 107 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 3: So there's nothing in our report that comes close to 108 00:06:56,360 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 3: censoring people or preventing people from engaging in advocate to see, 109 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:03,160 Speaker 3: which they're perfectly capable of doing. But we're trying to 110 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:05,679 Speaker 3: draw lines and try to address this explosion of hate. 111 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 2: I guess is Attorney Dave Friedman. He's a legal counsul 112 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 2: for the Boston Red Sox and he has just finished 113 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 2: a year serving on this committee. He was appointed by 114 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 2: Governor Healy Aster's Special Commissioner of Combating Anti Semitism. We 115 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 2: want to talk more about it. I want to talk 116 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 2: about how this could still exist, you know now it's 117 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 2: eighty years after World War Two. It just seems to 118 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 2: me this is this hatred that just will not go away. 119 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:43,679 Speaker 4: And I want. 120 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 2: To why we here in Massachusetts cannot be the best example, 121 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 2: and can we be the best example. So that's the 122 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:55,520 Speaker 2: question that I'd like to get into, and those of 123 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 2: you who would like to join the conversation. We go 124 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 2: over some of the specific ideas. A lot of it 125 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 2: deals with CA to twelve education and quite frankly, the 126 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 2: teachers union here in Massachusetts. And I'm not here to 127 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 2: bash the teachers union. A year ago, I was dealing 128 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 2: with some study manuals and curriculum that was anything but 129 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 2: friendly towards some of the concerns that I think have 130 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 2: been raised. So there's some work to be done. If 131 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 2: you'd like to join the conversation with Dave Friedman six 132 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 2: one seven, two five four ten thirty or six one seven, 133 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 2: nine three one ten thirty, I think it's a very 134 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 2: important topic. We saw what happened in Israel two years 135 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:42,679 Speaker 2: ago in October. We sat a long time ago, never again, 136 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 2: never again, never again, and here it happened and again 137 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 2: in a very brief moment in time. But there were 138 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 2: hundreds hundreds who were killed purely innocent people who were 139 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 2: doing nothing, either that enjoying music or waking up in 140 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 2: their homes on that horrible Saturday morning. We'll take a 141 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 2: quick break six one, seven, two, five, four thirty six month, 142 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 2: seven nine, three, one ten thirty questions and comments about 143 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 2: combating anti Semitism in Massachusetts. Wouldn't it be great if 144 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:18,319 Speaker 2: we didn't have to worry about this? But we do 145 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 2: need to worry about it. Back on Nightside right after this. 146 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 1: It's Night Side with Dan Ray on w Boston's news 147 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 1: radio with me. 148 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 4: As attorney Dave Friedman. 149 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:34,319 Speaker 2: He's also the executive vice president and chief legal counsel, 150 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 2: legal and government fairs and chief Compliance officer for the 151 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 2: Boston Red Sox, and he has just finished serving a 152 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 2: year on the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Anti Semitism, 153 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 2: appointed one of the two appointees that Governor more Healy 154 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 2: was able to appoint to this commission. Real quickly, Dave, I, 155 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 2: for the life of me don't understand, and growing up 156 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 2: and I'm older than you, we in Massachusetts always thought 157 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:10,560 Speaker 2: that a lot of the the hateful comments we associated 158 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 2: with people in the in the Deep South, and for 159 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 2: some reason, we always thought that in Massachusetts we're a 160 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 2: little more enlightened than that. But obviously that's not the situation, 161 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 2: and it is you know, a long time that that 162 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 2: that we've been dealing with this. Why, in your opinion, 163 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 2: have these you know, blood libels, these these stupid myths 164 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 2: been allowed to to persist and be propagated in Massachusetts. 165 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:47,360 Speaker 2: Above all, we would like to think that we're the 166 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 2: most educated state in the country. I just don't get it, 167 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:55,840 Speaker 2: and I don't I have never understood anti Semitism from 168 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 2: the time that I really, you know, as a kiddo, 169 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 2: came out of our Catholic school in Reedville Elementary School 170 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:05,080 Speaker 2: and found out that the real smart kids, the most 171 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 2: broad in my class at Boston Lads School, with kids 172 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 2: who had gone to you know, some of the schools 173 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 2: in Mattapana, Dorchester, the Jewish kids. What's wrong with us? 174 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,680 Speaker 3: It's perplexing, Dan, And it's a shape shifting kind of 175 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 3: hate that, for instance, gives you the following paradox. At 176 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:29,079 Speaker 3: the same time, you have a white supremacist saying Jews 177 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:33,040 Speaker 3: aren't white enough, and therefore let's criticize them and hate 178 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 3: on them. And at the same time, you have someone 179 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 3: on the left saying, you know, in a simplistic oppress 180 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 3: or oppressed binary, the Jews and Israelis are the white 181 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:46,320 Speaker 3: oppressors oppressing other people, and you've got to kind of 182 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:48,840 Speaker 3: pick one or the other. But it's a shape shifting 183 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 3: form of hate. And in this case, I think part 184 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 3: of the answer is that there's been an underlying degree 185 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:58,760 Speaker 3: of it throughout our society. There's a history in America 186 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 3: of anti Semitism Charles and berg Head Reford. But what 187 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:05,840 Speaker 3: we're seeing today is actually, in part, maybe a large 188 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 3: part of product of a very effective propaganda campaign funded 189 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,959 Speaker 3: by Katar, funded by Hamas, funded by foreign terrorists, who 190 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 3: deliberately said, let's focus on especially college campuses and the 191 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 3: most elite campuses. And so for twenty plus years you've 192 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:25,079 Speaker 3: had the BDS movement, which stands for boycott, to vest 193 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 3: and sanction, and even before October seventh, after October SEVENTHS 194 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 3: took off, but they've been planning seeds for twenty years. 195 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:36,559 Speaker 3: So every year you go to college campuses and the campaign, 196 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 3: the drumbeat is, you know, Israel's an apartheid nation, singling 197 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:44,839 Speaker 3: at Israel. Now, what about all the Muslim countries that 198 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 3: surround Israel, where Jews and Christians aren't allowed to worship, 199 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 3: much less live free lives. But this campaign singles at Israel. 200 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 3: It's been calling Israel a genocidal state for twenty years, 201 00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 3: notwithstanding that the population of Gaza had been going up 202 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:04,200 Speaker 3: during that time, which if Israel's genocidal, it's pretty pathetic 203 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:08,200 Speaker 3: and ineffective at doing so. And so the BDS movement 204 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 3: is this propaganda campaign. What we saw right after October 205 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:17,679 Speaker 3: seventh was student groups armed with toolkits, literally ready on 206 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 3: October eighth to start protests. And as you said, why 207 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 3: is it that people are able to be susceptible to this? 208 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:30,559 Speaker 3: It's baffling and frustrating. But I had a college classmate 209 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 3: of mine on our Facebook page post on October ninth. 210 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:38,079 Speaker 3: So this is before Israel has mobilized to do any 211 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:41,320 Speaker 3: kind of response to October seventh. On October ninth, there's 212 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:45,320 Speaker 3: no military response. Israel still collecting the smoldering bodies and 213 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 3: trying to figure out where the hostages went. And this 214 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:53,320 Speaker 3: classmate of mine posts Israel's about to commit genocide. So 215 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 3: the facts don't matter, Dan, The fact don't matter. What 216 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:59,960 Speaker 3: is Israel. They've already written the narrative. Whatever Israel had done, 217 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 3: let's call it a genocide. And of course it's multiplied 218 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:07,959 Speaker 3: when social media and even mainstream media spread this. And 219 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,559 Speaker 3: just a quick example, you may remember early on in 220 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:14,680 Speaker 3: the war, the conflict, which by the way, we all 221 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 3: pray for peace. My wife is from Israel. All of 222 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 3: our friends Jewish, Israeli, American care about innocent Palestinians. We 223 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 3: don't want war over there. Worse terrible, it's awful. But 224 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 3: early on in the war, in the conflict, there's this 225 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 3: explosive story that Israel had bombed and exploded a hospital, 226 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 3: and it went viral and all these people immediately posting 227 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 3: on social media how terrible that Israel had committed this 228 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 3: awf lack. It turned out, and people figured out less 229 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 3: than a day that Israel didn't bomb the hospital. It 230 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 3: was blown up by an errant Hamas missile. But by 231 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 3: that point it's too late. You've had a day of 232 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 3: all this exaggeration. The corrections that are run are on 233 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 3: page six and so short answering your question is a 234 00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 3: lot of it's propaganda, and it's a campaign that very effective. 235 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 4: Well, when. 236 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:08,400 Speaker 2: When people compared Israel to apartheid South Africa. I wanted 237 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 2: to scream, you know, have they have they looked at 238 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 2: the makeup of the Knesset, the members of the Kanesset 239 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 2: who are not Jewish in fact are Arab. Have they 240 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 2: looked at, you know, Israel taking in Ethiopian Jews historically? 241 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:26,760 Speaker 2: I mean, there's just so many examples that people are 242 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 2: unaware of. And I do believe that a lot of 243 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 2: this goes back to the days of Occupy Wall Street, 244 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 2: at least the recent incarnation of this. I remember we 245 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 2: had a SoundBite from a woman who was a teacher 246 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 2: in the Los Angeles School District. Rob. I don't know 247 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 2: if you still have that sound bite available, but it was. 248 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 2: It's a frightening SoundBite, and the frightening aspect of it 249 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 2: was not only what she said, but the way in 250 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 2: which she said it was so blatant. She's speaking to 251 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 2: a camera, a network camera, full face view. Do you 252 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 2: have that, rub Okay, let me play this for you, Dave. 253 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 2: This is Occupy Wall Street out of Los Angeles circa 254 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,920 Speaker 2: twenty ten. In twenty eleven, and this is when I 255 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 2: really got the first whiff of anti Semitism coming from 256 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 2: the left side of the spectrum. Get your reaction to this, 257 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 2: go ahead, rub aim an affiliation Patrician McAllister. 258 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 5: I'm here representing myself, but I do work for the 259 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:39,240 Speaker 5: Los Angeles Unified School District, and I think that the 260 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 5: Zionist Jews who are running these big banks in our 261 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 5: federal reserve, which is not run by the federal government, 262 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 5: they need to be run out of this country. 263 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 2: I was shocked, and we've kept that SoundBite, Dave. I 264 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 2: don't know if you've ever heard that one before, but 265 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 2: this was at the time of the Occupy Wall Street 266 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:08,360 Speaker 2: madness ten twenty eleven, and all of a sudden, these 267 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:13,120 Speaker 2: old tropes just bubbled up to the surface for nowhere. 268 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 4: It shocked me. 269 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:18,919 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think then that you're probably right with some 270 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:22,399 Speaker 3: of these roots, but I feel like it's now taken 271 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 3: several steps further. And our commission spent a lot of 272 00:17:25,600 --> 00:17:29,119 Speaker 3: time talking to witnesses and looking at evidence about K 273 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 3: through twelve schools here, and we talked a little bit 274 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 3: about some of the members of Maths Teachers Association and 275 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:39,080 Speaker 3: what they've done, and it's actually much worse than those tropes. 276 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:44,679 Speaker 3: It actually has now veered into explicit glorification and justification 277 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 3: of violence and mass murder. And so I'll give you 278 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:52,120 Speaker 3: a couple quick examples. The first date that our commission 279 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:55,480 Speaker 3: met was October twenty twenty four, and I was wearing 280 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:58,240 Speaker 3: one of those yellow ribbon pins that we wore because 281 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:03,399 Speaker 3: Hamas was holding hostages Israeli on American hostages. So after 282 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 3: the hearing, a woman who's one of the leaders of JVP, 283 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 3: the Boston chapter of JVP, comes up to me and 284 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 3: she says, but JVP fans for Jewish voices for peace, 285 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 3: and they're certainly not truly for peace. They are a 286 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 3: strikingly radical anti Israel group. And she says, what's this 287 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:27,720 Speaker 3: pin for. I say, well, I'm wearing this to remember 288 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:30,240 Speaker 3: and think about and call for the release of the 289 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 3: Israeli and American people, innocent, young people and old people, babies, 290 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:37,919 Speaker 3: elderly being held hostage by the Hamas terrorists. And she 291 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 3: cuts me off. They're not terrorists, it's justified resistance. And 292 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:45,439 Speaker 3: so here she's telling me that the atrocity is the 293 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 3: worst murder of Jews since the Holocaust. Wasn't terrorism, it's 294 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:52,760 Speaker 3: justified resistance. And then you fast forward to the NASS 295 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 3: teachers Association, where members of the not the whole union, 296 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:57,879 Speaker 3: but some members sent us a letter to the Commission 297 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 3: saying that we were wrong to show revolutionary posters of 298 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:07,720 Speaker 3: militant people who want to kill Jews because they have 299 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 3: the right to justify resistance. And what's troubling is that 300 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 3: it's become so normalized that we hear this rhetoric and 301 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:17,879 Speaker 3: we kind of move on without paying attention to or 302 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 3: condemning it. And so, Dan, what shocks me. Two weeks ago, 303 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 3: I think you probably saw this here in Boston on 304 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 3: Boylston Street, copy place, at the site of the marathon 305 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:33,679 Speaker 3: bombing where in twenty thirteen a couple of radicalized people 306 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 3: blew up innocent civilians, Americans. This wasn't an anti Semitic attack. 307 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,840 Speaker 3: It was an anti American attack at the marathon bombing site. 308 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:44,920 Speaker 3: Two weeks ago, you've got these anti Israel protesters chanting 309 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 3: there is only one solution into fada, revolution and chanting 310 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:54,320 Speaker 3: globalized the into Fada. Now. I've studied the Intafada, but 311 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:56,679 Speaker 3: my wife lived in Israel through it, and you know 312 00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 3: what the end offada was. The Intafada was pizza parlors 313 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 3: being blown up, children's limbs flying through the air, school 314 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:10,200 Speaker 3: buses and buses being exploded, people's private homes being firebombed. 315 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:14,119 Speaker 3: Into FADA was terrorism. So we've now had people at 316 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 3: a sight of domestic terrorism here in Boston chanting globalizing 317 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,320 Speaker 3: into fada. Now do they all know what FADA means? 318 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 3: Some of them probably don't know what it means, and 319 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 3: they're just, you know, they think that it's cool to 320 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 3: be able to post on social media that they were 321 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 3: doing it, But it's very dangerous and it's actually much 322 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:33,159 Speaker 3: worse than Occupy Wall Street in that respect. 323 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 2: No, I'd just say that, and then the people who 324 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 2: were who were chanting from the River to the sea, 325 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:42,119 Speaker 2: all that means is eliminate Israel. Do I think that 326 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:44,920 Speaker 2: all of the protesters who were protest, who were chanting 327 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 2: from the River to the sea knew what the implications 328 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 2: of that were. No, But how how do they find 329 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 2: themselves entrapped as participants where they're mouthing platitudes that are 330 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 2: devastatingly harmed and hurtful to other people, but they don't 331 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:05,200 Speaker 2: even understand that. Dave Frieman, we got to take a 332 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:08,760 Speaker 2: quick break for the newscast. Here we have some callers 333 00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:12,120 Speaker 2: coming in. We're going to get to them, uh uh 334 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 2: and continue this conversation. I think it's just an important conversation. 335 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 2: I believe that anti Semitism is it appeals to the 336 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:26,880 Speaker 2: worst instinct. I mean historically, you know these are people 337 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 2: who deny the existence of the Holocaust. And anyway, I 338 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:34,239 Speaker 2: don't want to go on. You're the person who has 339 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:36,200 Speaker 2: studied this much more than I have, and I want 340 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:38,119 Speaker 2: to hear more from you and from our callers. If 341 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:40,560 Speaker 2: you'd like to join the conversation six one, seven, two, five, 342 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:44,639 Speaker 2: four ten thirty six one seven nine three one ten thirty. 343 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 2: If you don't think this is important, you're dead wrong. 344 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:51,480 Speaker 2: You're dead wrong. This is a vitally important subject. We've 345 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 2: visited it many times, and we're going to stick with 346 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 2: this tonight. I hope some of the callers will join 347 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 2: the conversation. I have Harvey Silver Glead of Waits, as 348 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:03,399 Speaker 2: does Stephen Cambridge. We'll be and this room for you. 349 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:08,119 Speaker 2: If you've never called before, now is the time. Silence 350 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 2: can be interpreted by some as tacit approval. Don't be 351 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:16,680 Speaker 2: silent never again. Six one seven, two thirty six one seven, 352 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:19,160 Speaker 2: nine three one ten thirty back on Night's Side right 353 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:19,600 Speaker 2: after this. 354 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: Night Side with Dan Ray on w BZY, Boston's news radio. 355 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 4: With Me's attorney, Dave Freeman. 356 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 2: He has just finished a year long role as a 357 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:37,160 Speaker 2: member of the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Anti Semitism. 358 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 4: He was one of the. 359 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,760 Speaker 2: Two appointees to this commission, which I think you had 360 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:43,920 Speaker 2: in total about fifteen members, if if I'm not mistaken 361 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:48,399 Speaker 2: the total number of members, but two members who were 362 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:49,880 Speaker 2: appointed by the governor, and you were. 363 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:50,400 Speaker 4: One of them. 364 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:53,880 Speaker 2: Uh, let's let's get to phone calls, Dave and see 365 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 2: what people say. I want to start off with a 366 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:59,240 Speaker 2: great friend of mine and the friend of this program, 367 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:04,120 Speaker 2: Harvey Silvergle Harvey, you are on with Dave Friedman. So 368 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:08,199 Speaker 2: I'm going to listen to the two great lawyers discuss this, 369 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:10,440 Speaker 2: and I'm going to sit back and keep quiet. Go 370 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 2: right ahead, Harvey. 371 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:16,800 Speaker 6: Okay. My position, I'm one of the Semites who's the 372 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 6: object of the anti Semites. By the way, my position 373 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 6: is that anti Semitism, like any other irrational hatred, cannot 374 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:35,359 Speaker 6: be eradicated. That the job we have is not to 375 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:38,919 Speaker 6: change the hearts and minds of the anti Semites. That 376 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:47,240 Speaker 6: is impossible. The task before us is to prevent that 377 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 6: anti Semitism from eventuating into violence. I've said this before, 378 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 6: I think on this program. I was a Jewish student 379 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:02,240 Speaker 6: of Princeton in nineteen sixty before when they were about 380 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:06,840 Speaker 6: a dozen Jews in the class of five hundred and 381 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 6: vial anti semitism. Every Jew in the class was graduated 382 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 6: first in his in his high school. And my position 383 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:32,520 Speaker 6: was then and remains that as long as they don't 384 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 6: touch me, they can call me what they want. And 385 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:41,159 Speaker 6: I actually found it useful to know who hated me 386 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:45,439 Speaker 6: and who didn't. So I'm a free speech absolutist, and 387 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:49,200 Speaker 6: I believe that people should be allowed to express their 388 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:55,399 Speaker 6: hatreds verbally, and that has a great social purpose because 389 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 6: it tells you, it tells the object of the hatred, who, 390 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:01,399 Speaker 6: who hates who hates you? 391 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:05,199 Speaker 2: Well, let's get let's get Dave to respond to that, Harvey. 392 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 2: I intellectually I understand that Dave your reaction to Harvey's 393 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:17,680 Speaker 2: argument on both you know, legally, constitutionally and also from 394 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:18,920 Speaker 2: a practical point of view. 395 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, thank you and thank you Harvey. I have a 396 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 3: few things to say in Harvey, of course, is a 397 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:27,679 Speaker 3: very well known First Amendment advocate. The Special Commission made 398 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:31,680 Speaker 3: very clear that the Massachusetts approach to combating anti Semitism 399 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,200 Speaker 3: respects the First Amendment, and we're not calling for any 400 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:38,080 Speaker 3: kind of censorship. And so to that extent, we certainly agree, 401 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:41,800 Speaker 3: I disagree that you can't change some hearts and minds. 402 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:43,840 Speaker 3: And there's been a lot of survey data done. Now. 403 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,480 Speaker 3: The Blue Square Alliance, which is the craft organization that 404 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:50,920 Speaker 3: used to be called Foundation to Combat Anti Semitism, has 405 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 3: done a lot of survey works of other organizations, and 406 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:57,399 Speaker 3: what they've consistently found is what jives with what I 407 00:25:57,440 --> 00:25:59,760 Speaker 3: see when I go to campuses. For instance, I teach 408 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:02,280 Speaker 3: a as at Harvard Laws, so I'm a member the faculty. 409 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 3: There's probably that a ten percent of people who you 410 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:11,119 Speaker 3: could say they truly are haters, they harbor real hatred 411 00:26:11,119 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 3: in their heart. But then there's a lot of people 412 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:17,240 Speaker 3: who engage in conduct which is offensive or biased or troubling, 413 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:23,120 Speaker 3: who are ignorant and with a better understanding, whether it's 414 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:27,159 Speaker 3: Holocaust education or exposure, might just pause and say, wait 415 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:29,159 Speaker 3: a second, I have not been looking at this the 416 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:34,880 Speaker 3: right way. Violence absolutely is a problem, and unfortunately it's 417 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:40,159 Speaker 3: on the rise, and Massachusetts now with five percent of 418 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:44,440 Speaker 3: its population as Jews, eighty five percent of reported hate 419 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:47,360 Speaker 3: crimes based on religion. We're targeting Jews. So I think 420 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:49,960 Speaker 3: that what we have here is a genuine crisis. And 421 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 3: I'll just add one thing, which is, yes, we need 422 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:54,960 Speaker 3: to focus on ways to curtail violence. 423 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:55,600 Speaker 6: I agree with that. 424 00:26:56,640 --> 00:27:00,479 Speaker 3: But almost as bad as the violence is the racism 425 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:05,119 Speaker 3: and exclusion and harassment that Jews and especially Israelis have 426 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:07,639 Speaker 3: seen in the last couple of years. And here's just 427 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:12,359 Speaker 3: one shocking statistic, which I think is extraordinarily troubling. And 428 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:14,960 Speaker 3: it's different from when I went to Harvard back in 429 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:19,199 Speaker 3: the nineteen nineties. Professor Aton Hirsch, a brilliant professor, has 430 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:22,959 Speaker 3: done some survey work. In twenty twenty four, he asked 431 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 3: for US students on college campuses, non Jewish students. He 432 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:31,720 Speaker 3: asked the question, would you be friends with someone who 433 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 3: supports the existence of Israel as a Jewish state? Not 434 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 3: do you support every action of the Israeli government. You 435 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:41,159 Speaker 3: support the existence of Israel, would you be friends with 436 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:45,119 Speaker 3: that person? Because most Jews do support the existence of Israel. 437 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:49,080 Speaker 3: Twenty percent, one in five said no. I wouldn't be 438 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:54,520 Speaker 3: friends with someone supports Israel's existence. Another forty five percent 439 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 3: said they weren't sure. And when I see that answer, 440 00:27:57,359 --> 00:28:00,400 Speaker 3: I think it probably means nah, I've got a problem 441 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:02,120 Speaker 3: with that, or at least I have to think about it. 442 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:05,879 Speaker 3: So if two of three non Jewish students in America 443 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 3: aren't sure or not willing to be friends with someone 444 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:14,439 Speaker 3: who believes in Israel's existence, that's a pretty big problem. 445 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 1: Wow. 446 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 6: However, your comment, well, I can see his point of view. 447 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:30,480 Speaker 2: Again, he's not talking about penalizing people for saying. Look, 448 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:32,720 Speaker 2: there was the professor from Cornell I forget what his 449 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,280 Speaker 2: name was, and in the wake of what happened on 450 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 2: October seventh, he said that he was exhilarated. Now that 451 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:41,920 Speaker 2: guy's still teaching at Cornell, as I understand it, he 452 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 2: was exhilarated by that massacre, that slaughter. How can you 453 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:51,000 Speaker 2: be a professor at Cornell University and even articulate those 454 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 2: words in relation to what happened on October seventh. 455 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 7: Academic freedom, well, you could articulate, I mean, if physically 456 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:01,680 Speaker 7: you can articulate those words, stay at academic freedom, But 457 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:04,080 Speaker 7: from a from an ethical or a moral a moral 458 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 7: point of view, How can you believe in. 459 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 2: In your articulation of those words. People could say anything 460 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:13,040 Speaker 2: they want, but. 461 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:16,719 Speaker 6: We have a we have a right to criticize and 462 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 6: comment on such people. But I do think that it's 463 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 6: not an excuse for attempting to fire somebody. 464 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:25,960 Speaker 2: Well, my of the question is if I was a 465 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:28,400 Speaker 2: Jewish student in that class, or if my my son 466 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:31,959 Speaker 2: and daughter were Jewish students in that class, would they 467 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:34,760 Speaker 2: be treated fairly by that professor who says he was 468 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:36,959 Speaker 2: exhilarated by that. I mean, I'm just using that as 469 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:40,040 Speaker 2: one example, that's all. I'm not going to beat a 470 00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:43,760 Speaker 2: dead horse on it. But Harvey, as always, you are 471 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:47,080 Speaker 2: one of my my most challenging callers and one of 472 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:49,360 Speaker 2: my best friends. So thank you for joining us tonight. 473 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:51,280 Speaker 2: Thank you so much as always. 474 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 4: Right, oh, all right, thanks, we'll be back. 475 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 2: I got Steven Cambridge and Steven Topshill coming up. My 476 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,040 Speaker 2: guest is Dave Friedman. He was a member of the 477 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:04,560 Speaker 2: Special Commission here at Massachusetts and combating anti Semitism. We'll 478 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:06,400 Speaker 2: be back on Nightside right after this. 479 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 1: You're on Nightside with Dan Ray on WBZY, Boston's news radio. 480 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:15,360 Speaker 2: Back to the phones, you go. Let me go to 481 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 2: Steven Cambridge. Steve, welcome, you are next on Nightside with the. 482 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:24,680 Speaker 8: True Good Evening, Dave Dave. I think on college campuses 483 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,360 Speaker 8: for about the last twenty years or thirty years, there's 484 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:33,440 Speaker 8: been kind of this genesis of this anti colonialism, and 485 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 8: they feel that the British Empire and America and Europeans 486 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 8: and white people in general are racist, exploitive, and genocidal. 487 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:49,040 Speaker 8: So I don't think this has been something that's been 488 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 8: funded by Hamas to target Israel. It's a much more 489 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:57,000 Speaker 8: sweeping type of condemnation of Western society, of which they 490 00:30:57,080 --> 00:30:58,600 Speaker 8: think Israel is an example. 491 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:04,760 Speaker 3: Thanks Steve. I agree with that. And actually the Hamas 492 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:09,280 Speaker 3: funded propaganda, which is also a verified fact, feeds into 493 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 3: what you're talking about. And that's what's so clever about 494 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:16,600 Speaker 3: it is there's these phrases that are being used to 495 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:20,600 Speaker 3: demonize Israel that are tested and they say, okay, well 496 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 3: this is going to feed into Americans perception and the left. 497 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:26,800 Speaker 3: You know, they don't like apartheid, so let's use that phrase. 498 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:30,120 Speaker 3: They don't like the colonialism of the West, so let's 499 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:34,360 Speaker 3: say that Israel is a settlar, clonalist nation and You're 500 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:37,120 Speaker 3: absolutely right, and of course you can teach history in 501 00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 3: a very slanted way where the Holocaust is not relevant 502 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:43,040 Speaker 3: to the founding of Israel. Of course, we know that 503 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:47,360 Speaker 3: the reason Israel was created as was a Palestinian state 504 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:51,080 Speaker 3: in nineteen forty eight was an immediate response to the Holocaust. 505 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 3: So I think that your point. 506 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:53,000 Speaker 6: As well taken. 507 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:58,959 Speaker 8: One other point, I am a supporter of Israel, and 508 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:01,560 Speaker 8: I find I can't I can't talk to anybody because 509 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:03,880 Speaker 8: either the people I know are such strong supporters of 510 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:08,040 Speaker 8: Israel that any criticism of Israel is deemed anti Semitism, 511 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:11,000 Speaker 8: and I know the other people who any kind of 512 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:15,719 Speaker 8: defense of Israel at all is met with just frightful response. 513 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 8: But the other day in the newspaper it said that 514 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:25,880 Speaker 8: at this point in Gaza, seventy thousand people have been killed. 515 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:31,960 Speaker 8: How does how do you respond to that you, personally. 516 00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:34,680 Speaker 3: Dave, Yeah, I mean a couple of things. I mean, 517 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:39,040 Speaker 3: the Anti Semitism Commission's focus wasn't on Middle East policy, 518 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:44,120 Speaker 3: and you know, our focus ended up getting into Israel 519 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:48,840 Speaker 3: issues because there's a huge difference between criticizing the actions 520 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 3: or policies of an Israeli government and going further and 521 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:55,400 Speaker 3: saying the whole nation isn't legitimate from the river to 522 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:58,920 Speaker 3: the sea, we should eliminate it. So that's one answer 523 00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:03,480 Speaker 3: is you can bemoan the war and what's happened, but 524 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:06,400 Speaker 3: also understand that Israel is legitimate and that there's a 525 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:10,160 Speaker 3: line with respect to your question. More pointedly, I don't 526 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 3: trust the figures that Hamas uses for deaths. Why would 527 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:16,240 Speaker 3: we trust anything they say? And now I'm just speaking 528 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 3: on my own behalf, not on behalf of the Commission. 529 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:22,440 Speaker 3: You know, there's a lot of dead people in Gaza, 530 00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:24,960 Speaker 3: and that's a tragedy. It was a tragedy that was 531 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:29,760 Speaker 3: started by Hamas on October seventh, and thank goodness, there's 532 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:32,080 Speaker 3: a ceasefire in place now and we pray for a 533 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 3: future where there can be more peace. But I'm glad 534 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:39,000 Speaker 3: you raised the question in this sense. One of the 535 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:43,800 Speaker 3: challenges that our Commission faced was there are some Jewish people, 536 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:49,520 Speaker 3: mostly left wing Jews, who consider themselves anti Zionists. They 537 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:52,760 Speaker 3: may not favor a two state solution, and our Commission 538 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:54,920 Speaker 3: went out of our way to try to hear them 539 00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:59,520 Speaker 3: and say there is room for good faith sincere discussion 540 00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 3: on these issue there's room in good faith to say, 541 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:06,640 Speaker 3: you know, wouldn't it be nice for people in the 542 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:08,680 Speaker 3: area that's now Israel to all live in peace and 543 00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 3: not have two states. That's very different from the violent 544 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:17,680 Speaker 3: thro Haamas propaganda that's out there. And most Jews when 545 00:34:17,680 --> 00:34:20,279 Speaker 3: they hear chance like globalizing in Tofado or from the 546 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:24,120 Speaker 3: river to sea, find that offensive and traumatic. But if 547 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:28,480 Speaker 3: you're being thoughtful and responsible and even nuanced about it, 548 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:31,439 Speaker 3: then sure some people when they want to have these 549 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:34,440 Speaker 3: discussions that Israel, there is room for that good faith dialogue, 550 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:36,400 Speaker 3: and we try to recognize that as a commission. 551 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:39,400 Speaker 2: Steve is always thank you for the very thoughtful questions 552 00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:39,920 Speaker 2: of gone. 553 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:42,440 Speaker 8: And thank you, Thank you, David, have a great night. 554 00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:44,759 Speaker 2: Let me go to another Steve. This one is in Topsfield. 555 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:48,440 Speaker 2: Steven Topsfield, next on nice side with Attorney Dave Friedman. 556 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:51,480 Speaker 1: Go ahead, Steve, Hey, Dave, how are you. 557 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:53,239 Speaker 6: Great? 558 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:55,480 Speaker 3: How are you good? 559 00:34:55,560 --> 00:34:55,799 Speaker 4: Good? 560 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:56,080 Speaker 6: Hey? 561 00:34:56,239 --> 00:35:00,120 Speaker 9: Hey Davey. You know what's interesting that that last you know, 562 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:04,480 Speaker 9: speaker hit at one point the thing I wanted to 563 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:08,319 Speaker 9: discuss was the civilian casualties that are taking place in 564 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:17,160 Speaker 9: this war, and it's huge between Hamas Palestinian people. What happened, 565 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:20,319 Speaker 9: you know, Ober and whatnot. But there there's a huge 566 00:35:20,360 --> 00:35:24,560 Speaker 9: amount of casualties on the population of Palestine, and I 567 00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:26,759 Speaker 9: just wanted to kind of get your comments on that. 568 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:28,160 Speaker 3: Uh. 569 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:32,640 Speaker 2: I think Steve, without being redundant, I think he just 570 00:35:32,719 --> 00:35:33,799 Speaker 2: did comment on that. 571 00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:35,720 Speaker 4: Is there another question. 572 00:35:36,239 --> 00:35:40,680 Speaker 3: I'm glad to answer that too, but go ahead. I'll 573 00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:44,120 Speaker 3: just qut no, no, I can you know? Yeah, a 574 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:48,960 Speaker 3: number one civilian casualties in war. Again, it's a tragedy. 575 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:52,200 Speaker 3: It's something that I personally think is awful. A lot 576 00:35:52,239 --> 00:35:55,760 Speaker 3: of the tragedy is that Hamas uses people as human shields. 577 00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:59,080 Speaker 3: This has been documented for a long time. There have 578 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:01,680 Speaker 3: been studies, including the West Point expert who found that 579 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:07,080 Speaker 3: the ratio of civilian to Milton casualties was actually lower 580 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:11,280 Speaker 3: than in other conflicts. And you know, when the West 581 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:13,880 Speaker 3: was combating Adolf Hitler and we had the bomb Dresden 582 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:16,160 Speaker 3: and do other things and kill a lot of civilians, 583 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:20,080 Speaker 3: that was terrible. A lot of innocent people died. No 584 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:23,319 Speaker 3: one said the United States was committing genocide and that 585 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:28,680 Speaker 3: isn't genocide. So you know, there's a difference in language matters. 586 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:31,399 Speaker 3: There's a difference between saying this is a terrible war. 587 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:34,880 Speaker 3: It shouldn't have been necessary. We're you know, torn about it, 588 00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:38,120 Speaker 3: and we wish it was less civilian casualty. No one's 589 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:41,799 Speaker 3: celebrating that on my household. But there's a difference between 590 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:46,319 Speaker 3: that and saying, oh, Israel's committing genocide. So anyway, Dan, 591 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:48,200 Speaker 3: I think he wanted to move on to the next. 592 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:51,680 Speaker 9: Yeah, No, I just want to say, I think that's great. No, 593 00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:54,239 Speaker 9: I appreciate that comment on that, you know, and that's 594 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:57,440 Speaker 9: what's happened. But anyway, I just wanted to get some 595 00:36:57,520 --> 00:37:00,160 Speaker 9: feedback a night on the right. 596 00:37:01,719 --> 00:37:04,400 Speaker 2: Thank you, Steve, appreciate your call. Didn't mean to interrupt you. 597 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:07,759 Speaker 2: Let me go quickly. Ruth is in Brookline. Ruth, I 598 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 2: got about thirty second. You've called really late. Is there 599 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:13,400 Speaker 2: anything you'd like to ask or comments you'd like to know? 600 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:13,680 Speaker 6: What? 601 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:17,120 Speaker 10: The one comment I'd like to make is was noted 602 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:23,320 Speaker 10: in the beginning. This report contains many very important recommendations, 603 00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:27,440 Speaker 10: but they're all basically voluntary, and I think it's like 604 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:31,239 Speaker 10: really important if maybe Dave could address you know, what 605 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:36,520 Speaker 10: the public who's concerned about seeing the report actually being implemented, 606 00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:39,959 Speaker 10: like what people who care can do at this point, Okay, 607 00:37:40,719 --> 00:37:41,480 Speaker 10: get a difference. 608 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:43,960 Speaker 2: We're just tight on time here, Ruth Dave. What can 609 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:47,319 Speaker 2: folks do at this point who either want to see 610 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:51,960 Speaker 2: the report and read it themselves or hopefully advocate for 611 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:54,160 Speaker 2: the implementation of some of the suggestions. 612 00:37:55,239 --> 00:37:57,760 Speaker 3: Sure, a great question. The reports available on the Special 613 00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:00,640 Speaker 3: Commission website, which you can google, and there's something that 614 00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:03,360 Speaker 3: everyone can do, whether it's talking to your school district 615 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:06,520 Speaker 3: and saying these are good recommendations that we should follow, 616 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:09,799 Speaker 3: or talking to your elected officials. We've been hardened that 617 00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:13,680 Speaker 3: Governor Heally and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll and Attorney General Campbell 618 00:38:13,719 --> 00:38:17,360 Speaker 3: and many other leaders have supported our recommendations, and ultimately 619 00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:20,640 Speaker 3: it comes down to a lot of collective action. And 620 00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:22,480 Speaker 3: I want to add something. I mean, Dan, thank you 621 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:27,440 Speaker 3: for focusing on the unique crisis of antisemitism. It's unique, 622 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:30,879 Speaker 3: it requires special attention. We had a commission just about it, 623 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:34,880 Speaker 3: and at the same time, so much of our report 624 00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:38,000 Speaker 3: involved measures that actually combat all forms of hate. And 625 00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:41,200 Speaker 3: you'll see when we're calling for ways to improve protocols 626 00:38:41,239 --> 00:38:45,239 Speaker 3: for dealing with incidents or having better dialogue, these are 627 00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:49,360 Speaker 3: things that also are important to addressing anti LGBTQ plus hate, 628 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:52,600 Speaker 3: anti black racism, so it's not just anti semitism that 629 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:53,360 Speaker 3: we're trying to fix. 630 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:55,360 Speaker 4: All right, Ruth, good question. 631 00:38:55,560 --> 00:38:58,759 Speaker 2: Hopefully folks can get that report, get access to it, 632 00:38:59,600 --> 00:39:02,919 Speaker 2: and as Ruth suggested, take some action on it. Ruth, 633 00:39:02,960 --> 00:39:05,480 Speaker 2: thank you very much for your call. Dave Friedman, thank 634 00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:09,360 Speaker 2: you very much for your call, for your time tonight, 635 00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:13,120 Speaker 2: I should say, and your analysis for us, and go 636 00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:15,280 Speaker 2: get us a right handed hitter for the Red Sox. 637 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:17,360 Speaker 4: Will you we need a first baseman. 638 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:22,080 Speaker 3: Thanks Dan. You know there is hope. There's hope when 639 00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:24,640 Speaker 3: it comes to baseball. As I said, there's hope on 640 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:26,960 Speaker 3: these issues. There's a lot of support. I'm grateful with 641 00:39:27,040 --> 00:39:29,360 Speaker 3: Governor Heally putting me on this commission, and I'm grateful 642 00:39:29,360 --> 00:39:32,040 Speaker 3: to you for just paying attention to the issue. 643 00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:33,359 Speaker 4: Pleasure. Thanks Dave. 644 00:39:33,400 --> 00:39:34,800 Speaker 2: We'll talk again, okay, anytime. 645 00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:35,600 Speaker 4: We'll have you back. 646 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:38,080 Speaker 2: Well, we get back on the other side of the 647 00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:41,160 Speaker 2: ten o'clock news. We're going to talk about fifty year mortgages, 648 00:39:41,239 --> 00:39:42,400 Speaker 2: a new mortgage vehicle,