- Declaration and Purpose of Protests
- Support and Opposition at American Universities
- Activities at Israeli Universities
- Opposition from All Institutions
- Student Protests and Relations
- Campus Conditions and Suppression
Declaration and Purpose of Protests
Protests against the ongoing genocide in Palestine have erupted at universities across the United States. The spark of this protest was ignited at Columbia University in New York, where top Ivy League universities in the United States, including Columbia, were called upon to collectively condemn Israel’s aggression. After students at Columbia University initiated protests, students from all Ivy League universities began protesting against Israel’s aggression. However, currently, this movement is not limited to just the Ivy League universities; nearly all major universities in the United States, and even beyond in Europe and Australia, have echoed the call of this movement. Despite the glaring ignorance of the American administration, universities’ objectives in this protest, the discussions surrounding it, and the implications of American-Israeli cooperation agreements will be deliberated upon.
Support and Opposition at American Universities
Various programs are being conducted at Israeli universities, including those in Columbia, Stanford, MIT, and other universities in the United States, along with billions of dollars in funding. Under these agreements, universities engage in faculty-student exchanges and conduct joint research. Apart from Columbia University, students at various universities have taken the lead in initiating protests. They have urged university authorities to sever ties with Israel and have raised concerns about the nature of relations between Columbia University and Israel. This kind of protest is not new for Columbia University; even after America’s invasion of Vietnam in 1968, the university’s students protested against America’s unjust wars.
Activities at Israeli Universities
After students at Columbia University rallied in support of Palestine, they occupied the central office of the university. Following this, students from several universities, including Harvard, MIT, Boston, Georgetown, Minnesota, Georgia, and Washington, have expressed solidarity with this movement. Students from these universities have also occupied spaces on their campuses similar to Columbia University. They demand the cessation of all relations with Israel’s universities and government and the cessation of all economic transactions. They demand that companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, who directly support Israel with weapons and technology, also be boycotted.
Opposition from All Institutions
University administrations have been caught in a dilemma due to this protest. On one hand, students are pressuring them to stop financial transactions from pro-Israeli parties, while on the other hand, these universities risk losing billions of dollars in funding from wealthy former students, many of whom are American Jewish billionaires. After the initiation of this protest, many of these wealthy donors have indicated that universities will no longer receive any funding. In such a situation, authorities have resorted to suppressing the protest on campuses by deploying police, tear gas, and rubber bullets against students. Widespread repression and violence have been unleashed upon students protesting nonviolently. Following police brutality, the protests have gained more momentum. Subsequently, hundreds of students from various universities have been arrested for their involvement in the protests.
Student Protests and Relations
New students fear losing their campus residences, and many fear the cancellation of their academic credits. Consequently, many students have been coerced into abandoning the protest, including those who came to university with hefty education loans. The leaders of this protest, many of whom have been targeted with personal attacks along with their photos plastered everywhere, have been spread across various platforms, making them easy targets for personal assaults. The U.S. government is determined to suppress this protest at any cost. Members of Congress have discussed various measures, including tightening control over universities, to suppress this protest. Universities may face various charges and lose federal government funding for research.
Campus Conditions and Suppression
These actions by American politicians will exacerbate the situation and undermine the autonomy of these universities. While some blindly support Israel’s aggression, students and faculty members at American universities have been labeled as anti-Semitic for expressing solidarity with Palestinians. These protests have played a significant role in forming public opinion in favor of Palestinians in some areas. They have also brought about significant changes, with students leading the charge.
