Trump administration cancels $400 million in funding to Columbia University – msn/WaPost

President Trump announced in his speech to Congress this week that he has brought back freedom of speech. But actions speak louder than words. Yesterday, his administration cut off funding to Columbia University which has been a focal point for protest against US support for the Israeli government’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, genocide in Gaza, apartheid policies, and colonization of the West Bank.

While condemning the “wokeness” of the political left, Trump is practicing his own brand of woke political speech control. If you say what he does not want to hear, he will punish you. Kiss the ring of power and you might find favor. This is the way the president does business across a range of issues. Suppressing criticism of Israel also has a payoff as money from powerful Zionist lobbies will continue to roll into to his coffers.

Trying to stifle criticism of Israel my seem like smart politics. But as history continues to unfold, more Americans will learn about what the Netanyahu government is doing to shrink the Palestinian population and seize land. US public opinion has already shifted significantly as the current conflict has revealed what has long been covered up. It is possible that Trump’s new punitive wokeness does not bode well for American Jews, especially those claiming that their past persecution gives them the right to oppress and displace other people. Identity groups placed on woke pedestals by Democratic administrations are now discovering that there can be backlash to special treatment at the expense of others.

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