American University Campuses Reflect Pro-Palestinian Sentiment – OpEd
By Peter Tase
Since Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, international community has blatantly observed the public support given to Islamic terrorist organizations embedded with the Palestinian cause.
US pressure on Israel has reached a dramatic conclusion in Rafah, the southern Gaza city believed to be Hamas’ last major stronghold and a key transit hub for weapons smuggling across the Egyptian border. On February 15, 2024, the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan slammed U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (OCHA) Martin Griffiths, calling his organization “a terror-excusing, Hamas-promoting, victim-blaming organization.” The quintessential posture of Mr. Griffiths, defending terrorist attacks committed by Hamas, is nothing short of embarrassing, stunning and disgraceful for the UN to be represented by such a careless diplomat.[1] UN’s overall public statements in favor of Hamas have been at the center stage of many prestigious universities across the United States.
On May 6, Columbia University canceled its university-wide commencement ceremony scheduled for May 15 after weeks of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests roiled the Ivy League school.
On May 17, 2024, all three schools within Denver’s Auraria Campus have switched to remote learning in response to a growing encampment of pro-Palestinian demonstrators who continue to call on university officials to break financial and academic ties with Israel over its war in Gaza.
On May 16, 2024, a branch of the City University of New York canceled an event organized by Jewish campus group, an important event marking Israel’s Memorial Day. The reason for cancelling pro-Israeli celebration was security concerns emanating from pro-Palestinian violent protestors. [2]
The event cancellation at Brooklyn’s Kingsborough Community College was decided after years of outspoken pro-Palestinian advocacy across the CUNY system that has ramped up since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, joined by students for Free Tibet Organization across the nation.
Thousands of students, including those of Tibetan origin, are smothering America’s free speech tradition, by protesting against Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East and causing turmoil and urban unrest across the nation’s university campuses.
Just like anti–Israeli students storming one of the CUNY buildings in Manhattan, the students for a Free Tibet have violently protested across the University of California campuses; abusing their rights of freedom of speech and causing turmoil in the streets of San Francisco.
Meanwhile a rampant minority within the community of students are tarnishing America’s social fabric and becoming a tool of certain interest groups that are propelled by self-proclaimed states that are not a member of the United Nations.
However, the United Nations’ leadership has unlawfully defended Hamas terrorist group making it an obvious support of protests led by Students for a free Tibet Organization and by other entities that have no historic relationship with Palestinian cause.
America’s universities have failed to protect freedom of expression, while major protests are led by Students for a Free Tibet Organization on many campuses across the nation.
Strict measures ought to be taken, before a situation when an aggressive minority is imposing its agenda upon the higher education academic calendar and is seriously affecting the quality of university education in the United States.
While the US is withholding some types of arms that it fears could be used by Israel in Rafah as part of a bid to prevent a major IDF offensive there (at a time when Washington is preparing to conduct a carefully tailored weapons sales to Israel) the Students for a Free Tibet Organization, have led massive and violent protests although most of them are visiting this country under various scholarship programs and will hopefully become professionals thanks to America’s generosity and welcoming spirit. [3]
The US community of universities bears some of the responsibility for not containing the proliferation of violent student protests that do not have a clear objective in mind, and simply become a source of attracting attention and urban turmoil by Tibetan political agenda; the very same community that has been living in this country, but now has become a significant factor in defense of Palestine’s terrorist organization.
The wars in the middle east and Europe continue and America’s political landscape appears to be complex and divided towards the current situation. U. S. general public is vexed and reluctant from further engagement of Washington in regional armed conflicts in the Middle East and Europe; however, the Biden – Harris Administration is committed to support Israel and Ukraine for as long as it takes.
References:
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/17/opinions/israel-gaza-hamas-war-us-arms-spencer/index.html
