Jackson Purchase News

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has called on the corporate media and academia to reject false moral equivalence in their coverage and response to the recent terrorist attacks in Israel. In a speech on the Senate floor, McConnell highlighted the need for clear support for Israel and condemned the tendency of some influential sectors to amplify terrorists' version of events.

McConnell emphasized that the overwhelming majority of Americans support Israel's right to defend itself and recognize the choice between a democracy's right to self-defense and a terrorist group's obsession with destroying it as an easy one. He stated, "The United States must have Israel's back as it roots out the terrorists who threaten it."

However, McConnell expressed concern about the default position of some national newsrooms and elite college campuses that have blindly amplified terrorists' version of events. He specifically mentioned the reporting of a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital, where major news organizations ran headlines about an "Israeli strike" based on Hamas' immediate blame. McConnell pointed out that credible evidence has since emerged suggesting that the terrorists themselves were responsible. He stated, "The media can revise its headlines. But the shameful, anti-Semitic fringe of our society has already heard what it wants to hear."

McConnell also criticized the response of some Ivy League universities to the recent events. He highlighted a coalition of 30 student groups at Harvard that declared holding the Israeli regime entirely responsible for Hamas' terrorism. McConnell questioned how university administrators, the supposed grown-ups on campus, would respond. He noted that the initial silence of Harvard's leaders ceded the field to campus extremists in defining the university's response. McConnell further criticized the responses of Columbia, Dartmouth, and Notre Dame, stating that they failed to distinguish between the victim and the aggressor.

The Senate Republican Leader quoted the late Bill Buckley's retort in a debate to illustrate the lack of moral equivalence between terrorism and self-defense. He argued, "If you want to know where this leads, take the American Bar Association... At first, the ABA's president called 'on both sides to show restraint'... But yesterday, the ABA denounced Israel's self-defense efforts..."

McConnell also addressed the role of higher education leaders in political disputes. He acknowledged that some leaders have argued against wading into such disputes, claiming that it displaces the freedom of students and faculty to speak. However, McConnell pointed out that elite academia has not always practiced this policy, citing their impassioned stances on other issues. He called for moral clarity, stating, "Leaders cannot afford to be silent. Terrorism is evil. Anti-Semitism is despicable. And Israel has a right to exist."

In conclusion, McConnell submitted statements from various university leaders for the record, highlighting both the good and the bad responses. He expressed hope that the leaders of America's universities would recognize the need for moral clarity in these challenging times. McConnell noted, "It shouldn't take a PhD to understand that, but it also shouldn't be so hard for a PhD to acknowledge it."

To learn more, click on this link: https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=F5AA3F8C-4B95-4AC3-B09B-FEA448B211BA