Filmmaker says pro-Palestinian student protesters don’t understand the Holocaust

Many anti-Israel student protesters do not properly understand what actually happened to Jews in the Holocaust, says a US filmmaker in town to promote her new documentaryon campus anti-Semitism.

Many anti-Israel student protesters do not properly understand what actually happened to Jews in the Holocaust and a Sydney university having to set up a safe room for Jewish students is “insane”, says a US filmmaker in town to promote her new documentary on campus anti-Semitism.

Wendy Sachs’ film, October 8, delves into the hostilities toward Jewish people on college campuses in the US following the October 7 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel – a disturbing trend that also occurred at Australian universities.

Ms Sachs, an Emmy Award-winner whose film screened in Sydney this week, said many pro-Palestinian student protesters think they are on the right side of issues but they lack an understanding of the facts, including what happened in the Holocaust.

Wendy Sachs, pictured at The Intercontinental Hotel in Double Bay on Wednesday, says a pro-Palestinian group had a media toolkit ready to help guide people’s language on social media immediately after October 7. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“I think that there are a lot of students who think they’re doing the right thing, they want to champion the underdog,” she told The Daily Telegraph.

“There is a deep seated bias in a lot of liberal institutions in America, a real antipathy towards Israel.

“In America, we don’t mandate Holocaust history or Holocaust education, there’s a real education gap and people don’t know about the Holocaust at all or, if they do, they don’t actually know that six million Jews were murdered.”

Ms Sachs’ crew during the making of October 8.

A still from October 8, which shines a light on protests at unis following the October 7 attacks.

October 8 looks at how messaging linked to Hamas has allegedly infiltrated US college campuses and student groups, including one called Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

Ms Sachs said that, immediately after the October 7 attacks, SJP had a media toolkit ready to guide people on what language to use on social media pages when discussing the Israel-Palestine conflict.

A promo poster of October 8.

Ms Sachs won an Emmy Award before making October 8.

She also claimed Hamas was planning to infiltrate US colleges 30 years ago and, by 2023, they were “ready to go”.

Pro-Palestinian protests on campuses swept across America after mass arrests at Columbia University in New York City in April 2024.

They also spread to other countries including Australia, with a pro-Palestinian encampment erected at the University of Sydney.

Vice chancellor Mark Scott later apologised to Jewish students and staff, saying he had “failed them” when it came to managing the camp.

Macquarie University revealed earlier this year it had set up a high-security safe room for Jewish students after some reported feeling unsafe.

Ms Sachs said Macquarie University having to set up a safe room is “insane”.

“Isn’t it stunning that Jews don’t feel safe on a campus? It also shows the level of hate, that they would need to set up a safe zone, can you imagine any other minority group needing a safe zone?” she said.
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Originally published as Filmmaker says pro-Palestinian student protesters don’t understand the Holocaust