Turkish-American former NBA star, Enes Kanter Freedom, called anti-Israel college students “brainwashed” on a Saturday Fox News segment.
Speaking with Fox host Ainsley Earhardt, Freedom blasted the anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiment on college campuses.
“When you say from the river to the sea, and obviously many people are chanting [that] right now on the streets, and pretty much in every city in America, that means that you want to get rid of Israel,” Freedom said, proceeding to call it “unacceptable.”
He added that while he didn’t know what the solution to the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be, he said that the division between Jews and Muslims was heartbreaking for him.
Earhardt next played a clip of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserting that while some students are participating in the “from the river to the sea chant” out of naivety, many are fully aware of the malicious implications of the slogan.
Earhardt lamented that while college campuses are intended to be bastions of freedom of thought, Jewish student fear for their well-being amid the rise of anti-Israel and anti-Jew hatred.
These college students are "brainwashed"
“I don't know where it is people get their information from, maybe it's TikTok. That's why a lot of college students are brainwashed right now, but I do have lots of Muslim and also Jewish friends [who are] scared to walk on campuses freely because they just don't want to get attacked,” Freedom said.
He went on to say that he is witnessing more and more hatred every day between Jews and Muslims and emphasized the importance of education, accusing many who are engaging in protests of being unable to locate the country on a map.
“I feel like we need to educate ourselves, especially our youth,” said. “We want to have a better and brighter future, but please do not get your information from TikTok.”
Earhardt asked Freedom, with his experience of losing friends due to his views, what advice he would give to Jewish students who are experiencing the same thing.
“Never, ever hide,” he said. “Hiding is not an option. I know it can be a bit dangerous sometimes, but this is your protest and we live in a free country. So the one thing I will say is, just stay motivated, stay courageous and go on and express yourself.”