Anti-Semitism at Google

Speaking of standards, an employee of Georgia Tech and Google has recently been exposed as a rabid anti-Semite. Perhaps no one noticed. Perhaps no one cared. Perhaps members of some groups get a pass when it comes to purveying hate.

The man is named Kamau Bobb. He is the head of diversity and inclusion at Google. He is also a don at Georgia Tech.

The Daily Mail has the story, which you will not read in the mainstream media.

Kamau Bobb, who is also an 'Equity in Computing' don at Georgia Tech, wrote a 2007 blog post, which remains on his website, titled: 'If I Were A Jew.'

Bobb writes: 'If I were a Jew I would be concerned about my insatiable appetite for war and killing in defense of myself. Self defense is undoubtedly an instinct, but I would be afraid of my increasing insensitivity to the suffering of others.'

He evokes the memory of Kristallnacht, a Nazi pogrom against Jews in 1938, and Holocaust victim Anne Frank to question why Israel lacks 'compassion' towards Muslims in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank.

'My greatest torment would be that I've misinterpreted the identity offered by my history and transposed spiritual and human compassion with self righteous impunity,' the academic wrote. 

The story appeared in the Washington Free Beacon. It elicited these reactions:

Michael Dickson, director of Stand With Us, which educates people to fight anti-Semitism, tweeted: 'All of this begs the question whether (1) Google did due diligence when selecting Kamau Bobb for the sensitive position of global Google DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) Director and (2) whether he should remain in these positions.'

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre, an educational establishment which takes its name from the Jewish Austrian Holocaust survivor, Nazi hunter, and writer, tweeted: 'Google must fire this #antisemite #KamauBobb.'

This arises because some Google employees have been recommending that the company cease working with Israel, and thus, to take the side of the Palestinians in their terrorist attacks on the Jewish state and the Jewish people:

The 14-year-old blog post remains relevant today as Google employees recently demanded executives cut ties with Israeli businesses following last month's bombing campaign against Islamist terrorists in the Gaza Strip.

An internal letter to CEO Sundar Pichai urged a company-wide statement 'recognizing the violence in Palestine and Israel, which must include direct recognition of the harm done to Palestinians by Israeli military and gang violence.'

It also argued that Google should 'reject any definition of antisemitism that holds that criticism of Israel or Zionism is antisemitic,' which is 'limiting freedom of expression and distracting from real acts of antisemitism.'

We will see what Google does about this. It will show us how deeply the wokeness of Silicon Valley companies extends, and whether it countenances overt anti-Semitism.