From The Bimah: Jewish Lessons For Life

How are we to understand the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil and the stated intent of the federal government to deport him?It is good. He is an Israel hater. Finally the federal government is cracking down on Israel hate and Jew hate that have been running rampant on college campuses, leading to the intimidation and harassment of Jewish students and supporters of Israel. Columbia has been the capital of Jew hate and Israel hate. It is about time.It is bad. It changes the fundamental character of our country if somebody can be arrested and possibly deported for expressing opinions, however distasteful they may be to some. Deporting somebody for the exercise of free speech means we are in scary times in a scary country. Though some in the pro-Israel community may cheer this development, how can we be sure that we are not next? See Pastor Marin Niemoller’s iconic words about Nazi Germany:First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.Then they came for the trade unionists, and