Sarandon, Dershowitz's Opposing Views of Islamophobia See Different Results

A couple of high-profile political voices were on opposite sides over the weekend regarding Islamophobia in the wake of Israel's response to the October 7 attack by Hamas, and saw different results after voicing their opinions.

Celebrity attorney and Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz blasted American colleges Sunday for promoting the "fake" notion that there are hate crimes against Muslims, and that it's Jews who are being threatened.

Meanwhile, actress Susan Sarandon said that, if Jews are being attacked, it comes on the heels of hate crimes against Muslims.

While Sarandon took heat in social media and reportedly was dumped by her agency, UTA, Dershowitz's views went largely unnoticed outside of a robust debate at MSN, which posted the video.

"There are a lot of people that are afraid; that are afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country," Sarandon said Friday at a pro-Palestinian rally at New York's Union Square and Bryant Park.

Conservative pundit John Podhoretz took to X, formerly Twitter, to post of Sarandon: "I would like her to get a taste of what it feels like to not be a monster."

Similarly, Aviva Klompas, co-founder of Boundless Israel, a group formed to counter online antisemitism, said on X that Sarandon "was saying that American Jews have it coming—that we don't deserve to live free from harassment and assault."

Over at Fox News on Sunday's episode of Life, Liberty & Levin, Dershowitz said, "Oh, we have to fight antisemitism and Islamophobia, then added: "Let me tell you who the antisemites are. They are largely, not completely, the radical Muslims who claim to be victims of Islamophobia. This is a one-sided issue."

Dershowitz largely stuck to his view that antisemitism is most prominent at American colleges, saying that "there is no Islamophobia at any university in the United States. It's a fake. It's virtue parading."

Dershowitz was reacting to host Mark Levin's assertion that he's not "seeing a big push" from the various government agencies charged with cracking down on hate crimes against Muslims.

"What the hell is going on?" Levin asked Dershowitz.

"Only Jews and pro-Israel Christians on campus today are being attacked," said Dershowitz. "Muslims are not being attacked ... they're the privileged groups. They're the ones who get the benefits. They're the ones who get the advantages from teachers."

Dershowitz claimed that wearing a star of David or a kippa, another term for yarmulke, is risky at universities today, adding: "There has to be a response from the government, or else we're going to bring lawsuits. You know, 'hurt a Jew, we sue you.' That's going to be our new motto."

While Dershowitz hasn't endured the backlash that Sarandon has, Newsweek reached out to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) for its opinion on his assertions.

"Our data, as well as multiple media outlets covering incidents on university campuses strongly indicate that university students are, in fact, targets of Islamophobic, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian rhetoric and hate," Farah Afify, CAIR spokesperson, said.

Afify told Newsweek that CAIR has video of a Muslim graduate student at Harvard being followed through Cambridge neighborhoods and told she was wearing a "terrorist scarf."

And Afify notes that at Stanford University, a driver yelled obscenities at an Arab Muslim student prior to hitting him with his car while shouting, "f*** you people," according to the Stanford Department of Public Safety, which calls the incident a hit-and-run.

As for Sarandon, the New York Post reported that UTA severed ties with the Thelma and Louise and Rocky Horror Picture Show actress after some employees were "extremely hurt" by her comments.

UTA did not respond to Newsweek's emailed request for comment Tuesday.