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April 29, 2024 • 14 mins

In this episode, Lisa and New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov address the troubling increase in anti-Semitic sentiments at Columbia University and other college campuses. They delve into the challenges Jewish students face, highlighting the hostility within the academic environment. Vernikov contributes firsthand insights on the issue, discussing the impact on students and the response from faculty and the broader campus community. The Truth with Lisa Boothe is part of the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Podcast Network - new episodes debut every Monday & Thursday.

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're witnessing a Marxist revolution take place around the country
at colleges and universities, a hostile takeover, if you will,
Hatred for America, hatred for the Jews, hatred for all
things right, hatred for sanity. So what's it like to
be on the ground at one of these universities. We're

(00:20):
going to talk to New York City council Woman Ina
Verdikov of District forty eight. She's been on the ground
at Columbia University and she's Jewish, so this is near
and dear to her heart. Stay tuned for councilwomen. Ina Vernikov,
cooll Councilwoman. I appreciate you making the time. I know

(00:41):
you've been on the ground at Columbia University. What have
you seen? You know, what did people know about what's
really going on right now?

Speaker 2 (00:50):
So, first of all, the Jewish students have left the school.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
We've met it was about three students that are on cares.
One of them was you know, came over to us
when we were standing there when we came over, and
he really wanted to tell us about his experiences and
experiences of his other students, his friends. Is his colleagues,

(01:16):
and when we went to the Hilal and Sabad, we
spoke to about another students who are the only brave ones.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
You know to even remain on campus.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
A lot of them was essentially crying and tell it
was how florable it's better for them, how petrified it's
meant to be a Jewish student. As all the carempus,
pretty much all of that had removed any objects that
identify them as being Jewish. They removed the yamakas, they
removed their stars of David. They basically they are going

(01:49):
to walk around on campus. They they are afraid to
be identifiably Jewish. And honestly, for me, as an immigrant
found in the former Soviet Union or I know that
members of my family had to change their last stings
to attend university and to be involved in higher learning

(02:10):
because they were going to get bad grades, they were
going to get kicked out.

Speaker 2 (02:14):
They had to move to other cities to go to school.

Speaker 3 (02:17):
If they wanted to be doctors and lawyers, they couldn't
just attend the diversity if the administrators knew that they
were Jewish. And there isn't kind of scary for someone
like me because we you know, we escaped to America,
just like many immigrants did from those kind of places,
for a better light, for a lfe, for freedom, for

(02:40):
a place that was chronels to us to be a
place of freedom and powers and acceptance of everyone where
we would be able to practice really practical So sour religion,
have freedom of speech be identified with Jewish to not
be a praid to walk the streets, and to realize
that it's happening. The United States in two thousand and
eighty four is so incredibly scary for our communities.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
You know, and it's gone too bad.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
You know, Columbia is now going to online learning. You
know what kind of signs are these Jewish students saying,
you know, what sort of chance are they having to
be subjected to? At least the ones who have decided
to stay, you know, tell us a little bit about
like how bad it is right now.

Speaker 3 (03:22):
So the online en arment is pretty much for Jewish
students because you know, others aren't a fleet to be
on campus and society and the problemass supporters and those
innate encampments.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
They're not afraid. They're walking around freely. You know, when
I was there, every third.

Speaker 3 (03:39):
Students I would say it was wearing a qulifea. So
I'm not to doing against somewhere a cliched, but it's
obvious that they're not afraid. So we're objects that identify
them with supporters or whatever cause they're trying to represent.

Speaker 2 (03:53):
But Jewish students are now and you know the chances.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
They are here is they were rich of the cels
will be Free, which has been now deemed as antisthematic
by Congress.

Speaker 2 (04:05):
That is well, Dutch to America. If they everyone saw
the photographs.

Speaker 3 (04:09):
Of students standing there next to Jewish students who are
just thinking, who had American and Israeli flats, holding American
Israeli flats and the student was holding a sign saying
these are alcostals next targets. Uh.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
And of course Jewish it's going to be petrified of that.

Speaker 3 (04:30):
They hear Dutch to Jews, Dutch America, Jews out the
occupy Colombia. What is the occupy Colombia? What didn't that
possibly mean other than clear out Colombia of James.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
I don't think it's ever got only scary for us.

Speaker 1 (04:45):
Are these students just ignorant or or are they evil?
Because you know, essentially what they're saying is if they
deem you a colonizer, or they deem you a quote
unquote you know oppressor, you know that you deserve to
be annihilated, You know you deserve to be raped? Do
you deserve to be murdered? I mean, so they do
they know what they're hearing for. Are they ignorant? Are evil?

Speaker 2 (05:09):
Or what do you attribute it to?

Speaker 3 (05:11):
So I think there's a couple of things that play
are I think number one it's that our universities have
been experiencial with Marxist inductrinal issue for many, many decades,
where students are bray lashed to believe that Jews are
white privileged oppressors or colonizers and settlers and are committee

(05:34):
of genocide.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
They mix up Jews with israel I.

Speaker 3 (05:38):
Mean, these are Jewish students that have nothing to do
with the Israeli government or the actions of the Israeli governments.

Speaker 2 (05:44):
These are American Jews who just want to go to.

Speaker 3 (05:46):
School at learn, But they are demmed colonizers of pastors
and rich white privileged kids who deserve this kind of treatment.
So who cannot possibly be victims of ant expenditism because
they are pressors and columnists. And the funny thing about
all of this is is that most of these protesters,

(06:07):
you know, like I said, was there at Columbia and
mystique who they are. Most of them are white privileged kids.
And if they both be the Lee universities, obviously they
come for the rich elitist homes. And I think that
they are basically trying to atone for their students so
called sins of being a white and riction privilege by

(06:30):
standing up for these so called oppressors.

Speaker 2 (06:33):
So I think this is one element that's happening.

Speaker 3 (06:36):
And then there are many students that we actually heard
this from a lot of the Jewish students that we
spoke to, which is that a lot of these kids
that have nothing to do with either side are just
you know, throwing on these coin theaters that they are
standing there enchanting.

Speaker 2 (06:50):
The law because this is the cool thing to do.

Speaker 3 (06:53):
And if you don't do it, then you're going to
be ousted, and you know you're looking popular and not
and cool. You have to create just go along with
what they're doing. They have no idea about they're topping mital.
We're seeing for these age of us where when asked
questions they have no idea what it is that they're
standing up for.

Speaker 2 (07:09):
So it's like we have one side and these kids
who are.

Speaker 3 (07:12):
Completely indoctri atic and believe some of it is completely false.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
One sign is just going along look down.

Speaker 3 (07:19):
Then I think there is also obviously huge elements that
just hate Jews.

Speaker 1 (07:24):
You've got more with the councilwoman, But first, it's been
over six months since the brutal attack by Hamas and
our brothers and sisters in Israel. Since then, the attacks
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an attack of the hundreds of drones and missiles. The
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(07:45):
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(08:06):
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(08:30):
seems like we have a future generation of young people
who are our bloodthirsty.

Speaker 3 (08:35):
Oh absolutely, this is this. You look at what's going on.
There's thousands of these students doing this. There's all these
injen It's across universities in the country.

Speaker 2 (08:45):
And we have some very scammy to think.

Speaker 3 (08:48):
That these are the future leaders of America who are
going to go on to become doctors, lawyers, eeos. They've
been around of companies, their boy to legislate, they're going
to policy. What kind of a future does currently have
if these are the leaders that were reading at college emphasis.

Speaker 1 (09:08):
You know, and it's not just students either. I mean,
you know you're in New York City or on the council.
I mean, you know, we've seen some horrific things in
the streets of New York City just you know, I
think there was even a.

Speaker 2 (09:21):
Swastika at one point and people holding it up.

Speaker 1 (09:23):
I mean, just people in the streets of New York
openly cheering on you know, harmas. I mean, did you
feel safe in New York City right now?

Speaker 2 (09:33):
Let alone? It coast down?

Speaker 3 (09:35):
Is something really important that I want to mention before
we get some of my colleagues in the council. When
I was at Columbia, I actually stumbled on a rally
that was organized like facults and members.

Speaker 2 (09:48):
Of Columbia University.

Speaker 3 (09:50):
They were about I would say, about eighty faculty members
staying on the steps and thousands of students still rollusing them,
and I stayed for the entire thing.

Speaker 2 (10:00):
I wanted to hear what it was they were going
to say.

Speaker 3 (10:03):
And they were talking about in their student suspensions, and
they said the Rownroad for academic freedom. And that's basically
the narrative that I think a lot of the media
strains to portray, and that scenarrative going around that there
is a lack of academic freedom and the ROYPD has
rated these campuses.

Speaker 2 (10:22):
And these are peaceful protesters.

Speaker 3 (10:24):
First of all, these faculty members not one of them.
I listened to the entire to all of his teachers.
There were about eight appults where were speaking, not one
of them on that day. As mentioned the fact that
there are virtually no Jewish students that are left on campus,
not one of them condemned the harassment and bullying or

(10:45):
Jewish students, the death threats, the chants, they support the
prahamas that has been obviously going on. I mean, do
we think that hundreds and about students across America a
lot ing about what's happening. We see videos that we
cannot you know, we can't say that's not happening, and

(11:07):
not a single faculty member are mentioned the Jewish students
and all of that is all what's happening, and this
narrative that it's all about free speech and epidemic freedom.
Do they support the students that are standing right outside
Colombia with holding signs glorifying Zook cars of baby who

(11:30):
murdered six innocent civilians and was involved.

Speaker 2 (11:33):
With two shootings. Is that academic freedom? Is it epidemic freedom?

Speaker 3 (11:38):
To India, the Jewish students, death to all of death
to the Jews, get out of our campus, dying out
gyms out is that academic swedom it is and the
sapatine is joy on multiple campuses.

Speaker 2 (11:51):
They joined these projects, They partner with them to create
human chains, not allowing Jews to come on to certain
areas of college campus.

Speaker 3 (12:01):
When these students and their caravans pay enormous money sixty
thousand dollars a year, three hundred and sixty thousand dollars
on education at Coluba University and they are now also
enter soil.

Speaker 2 (12:13):
Areas on a campus.

Speaker 3 (12:15):
Of course, they don't feel safe and Jews have not
felt safe in this city, in this country for a
couple of years now. It's been really sasturing. But it
is the worst at campuses because that is really where
it starts. And if you look at nineteen thirty eight
Germany and Austria where gyms were not allowed to connect

(12:35):
onto a university, where they were physically blocked from coming in,
and to think that this.

Speaker 2 (12:42):
Is what's happened in the United States, I had little wars.

Speaker 1 (12:46):
It's it's disgusting, and you know, I'm glad that you're
bringing light to it. You know, real quick, before we go,
is there anything you'd like to leave us with?

Speaker 2 (12:56):
I just want to send the message to the Jewish student.

Speaker 3 (13:00):
As difficult as it may be, I believe that all
of you need to get together, be brave, and come
back to campuses.

Speaker 2 (13:13):
I know it's a controversial fans. I know that's some
power and sort of to be happy to hear it up.
But I believe that you need to do that.

Speaker 3 (13:20):
I am willing to go to campus and stay there
and stay there for as all as they need to.
That's why I want to Columbia the other day. We
cannot be afraid and run away and hide. If we
do that, we let the terror supporters and the anti
stemit win.

Speaker 2 (13:37):
We'll leave it right there.

Speaker 1 (13:39):
What a succinct way to end it with a strong message,
Councilwoman Vernikhov. I appreciate what you're doing. We'll keep bringing
attention to it. We appreciate you doing so as well
and standing up for these students. Thank you so much
for having me those Counselwoman na Vernikov from New York City.
We appreciate her making the time to join the show.
Appreciate you guys at home for listening every Monday and Thursday,

(14:01):
but you can listen throughout the week under Thank John
Cassio and my producer for putting the show together.
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