Daniel Rosenis the former leader of the TorchPAC pro-Israel group at New York University whose activism against campus antisemitism was reported on in the New York Post, the New York Sun, and multiple Jewish newspapers as well as the Village Voice. He worked for the Jewish Agency and now serves as co-CEO of a local family business.
The murder of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson by Luigi Mangione and the subsequent response from certain segments of the younger generation reveal troubling parallels to the recent approval ratings of Hamas among young people. On the surface, these events may seem unrelated, but they reflect a deeper moral and cultural crisis that transcends specific issues or communities.
What is particularly disturbing is the way some young people have been perverted in their thinking, not only to justify but, in some cases, to celebrate acts of violence and barbarity. The troubling trend of sympathizing with or glorifying the indefensible—whether it be the actions of Mangione or the atrocities committed by Hamas—points to a larger societal rot. However, there is also a strange kind of relief in recognizing this broader problem: it’s not just about one community, one issue, or even one conflict.
Consider that surveys indicated that a notable portion of young Americans express support for Mangione:
An Economist/YouGov Poll (December 15-17, 2024): Among U.S. adults aged 18-29, 39% viewed Mangione favorably, while 29% held an unfavorable view. In contrast, older age groups exhibited more negative perceptions.
In a Newsweek Report: A poll indicated that 41% of individuals aged 18-29 considered the killing of Brian Thompson at least “somewhat” acceptable, highlighting a generational divide in perceptions of the incident.
Taking the above statistics in conjunction with the following:
In a December 2023 Times of Israel survey, over half of young Americans believed that on Israel’s conflict with Hamas, the Jewish state should cease to exist, and instead be replaced by a Palestinian Arab entity.
A monthly Harvard CAPS/Harris poll back in November 2023, found continuing support for Israel in its campaign against Hamas among every age demographic but 18- to 24-year-olds/ 51% replying in the affirmative when asked if Israel should be “ended and given to Hamas and the Palestinians,”
These two seemingly unconnected events are actually connected at their root. It reveals a systemic failure in how young generations are being educated and socialized. When young people are taught to see killers as heroes, to frame murderers and rapists as freedom fighters, and to confuse barbarism with bravery, we are facing a moral crisis of epic proportions.
A vacuum has been filled by people who believe that the victimizer is the victim and that the victim is culpable.
For far too long people have trusted that the educational system would teach their children right from wrong and that it would disallow the politicization of education. Over the last 30 years, that trust has been violated.
This disconnect is not limited to Mangione or the Hamas/ Israel issue. This challenge is much deeper and involves questions including capitalism and Western values.
Now is the time to take a deep dive into what children are being taught and to ensure that basic indisputable truths are being reinforced. The notion that there are certain values that are not subjective but rather objective must be reaffirmed. The time has come to use our voices—not just to condemn isolated incidents but to illuminate the dangerous patterns that connect them.
These are two examples that represent defining moments of our time (among many others that people can certainly point to). This is a task that involves hundreds of millions of people and it is a fight that must be had for the minds and hearts of Americans across the country. Clear lines of symmetry between the actions of Mangione and those of Hamas can be drawn. Both are examples of moral degradation that, if left unchecked, threaten the fabric of civilized society.
The fight we face is not limited to one group or one issue. It is a fight for humanity itself, for a world where justice is not distorted and where decency prevails over barbarism. If we are to succeed, then the time to speaking up is now! Whether we’re dealing with lionizing the likes of Yahya Sinwar or Luigi Mangione, a clear line in the sand must be drawn.