Protests by students on college campuses across the United States over Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza are increasing. The protests are mainly in support of Palestinians living in Gaza and against what protestors perceive as the devastation of Gaza by Israel.
Unfortunately, the protests have also targeted Jewish students at some colleges, creating fear and anxiety among these students.
Images of the spreading protests on college campuses bring back memories of the widespread national protests that also took place on campuses across the nation in 1968 against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War that began in 1965. College students, joined by others, wanted American troops withdrawn. Like the current protests, those in 1968 began at Colombia University in New York City. But these students were opposing a war the US was involved in, with American troop deaths reported daily; a war in which the then military draft was interfering with students’ deferment thus directly affecting college enrollment.
The Israel-Gaza war isn’t America’s war involving the participation of American troops. So, the question is being asked by many Americans why students are so actively protesting the war.
The main reason is even before protests broke out on college campuses American youth expressed anger at the devastating impact the war was having on Palestinians in Gaza. Over 34,000 Palestinians – men, women, and children, have been killed; Most Gaza homes have been destroyed leaving thousands of Palestinians homeless; food and water are in extremely short supply; and medicines, medical supplies, and medical services are barely available.
Since the war began on October 7 when Hamas brutally attacked Israel killing hundreds and capturing some 200 hostages, Israel’s attacks on Gaza, intent on eliminating Hamas, have been relentless. As Israel’s attacks persist, global sympathy has gradually shifted from the impact of Hamas attacks on Israel, to sympathy for the Palestinians in Gaza. In the U.S., anger is also growing against President Joe Biden for supporting Israel in the war, although Biden has had public differences with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the atrocities taking place in Gaza.
It’s easier for protests to grow and spread on college campuses where hundreds of students are in proximity to each other and are easily influenced.
Now that the protests have erupted across the nation, they could be hard to control. As in 1968, a presidential election year like 2024, when the protests were believed to have influenced President Lynden Johnson not to seek reelection, these protests could have very negative effects on Biden’s reelection bid. Already there are divisions in the Democratic Party over support for and against the campus protests.
But what do the protesters hope to achieve?
The protests are not going to influence Israel’s ceasefire. Neither will the protests influence President Biden to stop supporting Israel. With American Jews having a very strong influence on American businesses in particular, and American society in general, and being a very influential voting bloc, no U.S. president will ever cease America’s support for Israel.
But the student protestors want to raise awareness about the situation in Gaza and the impact the conflict is having on civilians. They want to pressure the government to take action, such as imposing sanctions on Israel or pushing for a ceasefire. They want to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and support their right to self-determination and a peaceful resolution to the conflict. They are also seeking to influence their universities’ policies, such as divestment from companies that are involved in the conflict or providing more support for Palestinian students. They are also aiming to educate others about the complexities of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the historical context behind it.
The reaction to the protests on college campuses is a very tense and sensitive matter. Free speech and peaceful protests are steeped in the American constitution. College students have a right to protest, as long as these protests are not violent. But even if the protests are non-violent, it’s questionable if students should be allowed to block access to and from college campuses; interfere with students not involved in the protests many of whom are preparing for examinations leading to graduation, or prevent graduating exercises.
Certainly, despite whatever passion students may have against Israel’s war in Gaza, and for the well-being of Palestinians in Gaza, they cannot be allowed to intimidate or threaten Jewish students. But on the other hand, calling in law enforcement to break up protests, especially if they are peaceful, could provoke violent protests. There should be great care in calling for the National Guard to enter campuses to break up protests. That has the potential for worse repercussions than was seen in 1968.
This is a time for a very calm and level approach by college administrations, protestors, and local, state, and federal governments, in coping with these college protests. These protests, if mishandled, could have very serious repercussions nationally.
