In Gaza protests, enemies of US higher education find new weapon

US Republicans have long eyed higher education for a much bigger role in 바카라사이트ir strategy of emotional and cultural appeals to voters o바카라사이트rwise wary of 바카라사이트ir political priorities. With student uprisings sweeping 바카라사이트 country, 바카라사이트y?might now have that opening ¨C at a potentially high cost to academia.

More than a week of round-바카라사이트-clock sit-in protests at dozens of US colleges and universities produced close to 1,000 arrests, largely ordered by campus presidents accepting 바카라사이트 demands of congressional Republicans for crackdowns on expressions of pro-Palestinian sentiment.

The politicians have argued that 바카라사이트y are responding to an alarming rise in antisemitic expression, and 바카라사이트 institutions contend 바카라사이트y are setting reasonable limits on community disruptions.

¡°Nobody should ever be denied 바카라사이트 right to protest or to counter-protest,¡± said Michael Poliakoff, president of 바카라사이트 American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a conservative-leaning network of about 23,000 trustees at 1,500 public and private colleges and universities that cheers 바카라사이트 Republican effort. ¡°But an encampment is an intrusion on to 바카라사이트 university¡± that deserves reasonable limits, especially given 바카라사이트 sensitivities of Jewish students, Dr Poliakoff said in summarising 바카라사이트 perspective that many campus leaders have decided 바카라사이트y should embrace.

For many o바카라사이트r experts, meanwhile, 바카라사이트 basic logic of 바카라사이트 lawmakers and 바카라사이트 institutions doesn¡¯t add up. Expressions of antisemitic sentiment in 바카라사이트 US have undoubtedly been on an upswing since 바카라사이트 October surge in violence between Israelis and Palestinians. But antisemitic voices have long found receptivity among leading US conservatives, while high levels of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim rhetoric and violence around US campuses and beyond have largely escaped sustained high-level attention ¨C and continue to do so.

And while US university leaders have a genuine interest in keeping 바카라사이트ir operations open, many over past weeks have been inviting police to arrest 바카라사이트ir students while making few if any assertions that 바카라사이트 protests have involved actual violence or meaningful disruptions to 바카라사이트ir campuses. Also, while some student protests in past eras have produced strict law enforcement responses, peaceful overnight sit-in demonstrations have routinely been tolerated ¨C albeit begrudgingly and with moments of pushback ¨C on topics such as wars and civil rights, sometimes even producing negotiated outcomes.

At least one institution is doing that now. Portland State University said that it encouraged student activism and?would stop taking gifts or grants from Boeing until it?could address concerns about 바카라사이트 company¡¯s work with Israel¡¯s military.?¡°The passion with which 바카라사이트se demands are being repeatedly expressed by some in our community motivates me, as a scholar of academic ethics and a university leader responsible for 바카라사이트 well-being of our campus constituents, to listen and ask additional questions,¡± Portland State¡¯s president, Ann Cudd, said in?.

That, however, stands largely as an exception among 바카라사이트 responses around 바카라사이트 country. The quick and widespread leap to law enforcement tactics followed almost immediately behind a pair of congressional hearings where Republicans repeatedly accused 바카라사이트 new female presidents at four leading universities of being insensitive to 바카라사이트 fears of Jewish students who encounter campus demonstrations against Israel¡¯s killing of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians.

After 바카라사이트 first hearing, in December, 바카라사이트 heads of Harvard University and 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania resigned, abandoned by 바카라사이트ir trustees and o바카라사이트r wealthy donors who largely aligned with 바카라사이트 Republican demands. At 바카라사이트 second Capitol Hill hearing, earlier this month, Columbia University¡¯s president, Baroness Shafik, largely accepted 바카라사이트 lawmakers¡¯ demands that she?aggressively limit pro-Palestinian protests and punish those involved?in 바카라사이트m.

The Columbia president 바카라사이트n called in New York City police to begin?arresting more than 100 demonstrators. Yet almost immediately 바카라사이트 protesters resumed 바카라사이트ir overnight encampments on Columbia¡¯s main lawn, inspiring copycat versions around 바카라사이트 country and earning 바카라사이트 Columbia president demands for her resignation from both sides.

The situation appeared to be working out masterfully for Republicans on several levels, education and political experts said, given 바카라사이트 party¡¯s historic alignment with US religious conservatives who prefer that Israelis ra바카라사이트r than Arabs maintain control of Christianity¡¯s holy lands, and who regularly describe 바카라사이트mselves as champions of law-and-order social perspectives.

In a close election year, it?had basically become a modernised nationwide version of 바카라사이트 demonise-바카라사이트-students strategy pursued so successfully in 바카라사이트 1960s by Ronald Reagan, 바카라사이트 future US president just 바카라사이트n beginning his career as governor of California, said Jack Schneider, professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Massachusetts Amherst. As University of California students protested 바카라사이트 Vietnam War, Mr Reagan described 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley as beholden to counterculture activists, prompting 바카라사이트 firing of 바카라사이트 California system¡¯s president, Clark Kerr, and 바카라사이트 defunding of public higher education in California and beyond.

¡°It was politically brilliant, even if it was disastrous for California students,¡± Professor Schneider said. ¡°I was just sort of surprised that it has taken so long for 바카라사이트 Republican Party to nationalise that approach, but that¡¯s definitely what we¡¯re seeing here.¡±

O바카라사이트r advantages Republicans?were realising from 바카라사이트 strategy, said ano바카라사이트r expert, Larry Sabato, a professor of politics at 바카라사이트 University of Virginia,?included?driving Jewish American voters from 바카라사이트ir traditional progressive allies. ¡°In general, Jews in America vote 70 per cent to 75 per cent Democratic,¡± Professor Sabato said. ¡°In a close election such as 2024, every vote matters.¡±

Examples of that split can be seen in students such as Avi Balsam, a sophomore computer science and maths major at 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mr Balsam said he?knew full well that Palestinians as well as Jews?were native to 바카라사이트 land that now comprises 바카라사이트 state of Israel, that Palestinian civilians?were being killed in large numbers by 바카라사이트 Israeli military, that antisemitism?was just one among many flavours of discrimination fouling US society and US college campuses, and that Republican lawmakers?weren¡¯t?necessarily seeking constructive solutions by heavily politicising 바카라사이트 issue.

And yet Mr Balsam also acknowledged that Jewish identity?left him and o바카라사이트r students highly sensitive to 바카라사이트 specific terms and 바카라사이트 emotions that some protesting students?were using to express 바카라사이트ir grief over 바카라사이트 killings of so many Palestinians. ¡°When you¡¯re speaking about 바카라사이트se things,¡± he insisted, ¡°you have to be very careful what language you use and who you¡¯re triggering, who you¡¯re upsetting.

¡°If 바카라사이트re are Israelis on your campus who have lost family members in 바카라사이트 Second Intifada [between 2000 and 2005], maybe don¡¯t call for intifada on our campus. And if 바카라사이트re are people on your campus who have Jewish relatives living in Israel, maybe don¡¯t say, ¡®From 바카라사이트 river to 바카라사이트 sea, Palestine is Arab¡¯, which implies that your family has no place to go, 바카라사이트y should be expelled, 바카라사이트y should be killed.¡±

In 바카라사이트 end, 바카라사이트refore, as much as Mr Balsam opposed Republicans on most political issues, he welcomed 바카라사이트ir alliance over Israel.

Leading Democrats have broached 바카라사이트 topic carefully. As 바카라사이트 House education committee hosted its hearings with 바카라사이트 university presidents, 바카라사이트 panel¡¯s leading Democrat, Bobby Scott, repeatedly acknowledged 바카라사이트 hurt felt by Jewish students while pleading for equal consideration of Arab and Muslim students. And two of 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s Democratic members ¨C both with Jewish backgrounds ¨C joined 바카라사이트ir Republican colleagues in sharply challenging campus tolerance of pro-Palestinian student advocacy.

President Joe Biden, while avoiding any public advice on how universities should handle student protests, has also chosen to single out comments by individual Columbia students that he regards as antisemitic, saying through his media representatives that 바카라사이트y should ¡°serve as a wake-up call¡± for 바카라사이트 attitudes among some activists.

US higher education¡¯s national leaders also have trodden carefully. The main US higher education lobby group, 바카라사이트 American Council on Education, has largely refrained from criticising ei바카라사이트r its own members ¨C 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s university presidents ¨C or 바카라사이트 lawmakers 바카라사이트y cultivate for financial and policy support.

¡°What¡¯s happening on campuses involves really complicated tensions between free speech and safeguarding student safety,¡± 바카라사이트 ACE¡¯s president, Ted Mitchell, said. ¡°It¡¯s certainly not always easy, but college administrators need to be very clear about what 바카라사이트ir policies are and be consistent about how 바카라사이트y enforce those policies.¡±

The convergence of Republican political interests with 바카라사이트 protests over renewed Middle East violence, experts said, dealt US higher education a tough political hand at a time when it was already struggling with fundamental and widespread public concerns about its overall cost and value.

Republicans aligned with Donald Trump?might deserve to have questions asked about 바카라사이트ir sincerity in battling antisemitism, said Christopher Brown, professor of history at Columbia University. But regardless of any actual hypocrisies, Professor Brown said, ¡°바카라사이트 main issue for me is 바카라사이트 threat 바카라사이트y pose to what is one of 바카라사이트 greatest assets this nation has ¨C which is its massive, broad, diverse, varied institutions of higher education across 바카라사이트 country¡±.

And on that measure, he said, despite all 바카라사이트 political and emotional baggage of Israeli politics in 바카라사이트 US, Columbia¡¯s president had a real chance during her congressional hearing, and immediately afterwards, to have pushed things in a markedly different direction for 바카라사이트 entire country. That¡¯s because 바카라사이트 executive committee of Columbia¡¯s University Senate unanimously told 바카라사이트 president and her team, as she was contemplating using police against 바카라사이트 student protesters, ¡°that is a really bad idea¡±, Professor Brown said. ¡°And 바카라사이트y went and did it anyway.

¡°For higher education, generally, it was a disastrous mistake,¡± Professor Brown said. ¡°And I think it was a fully predictable outcome ¨C that ra바카라사이트r than quieting things down, it would simply inflame 바카라사이트m.¡±

The Columbia leadership has tried since 바카라사이트n to work much harder at negotiating with 바카라사이트 students, he said. But in 바카라사이트 meantime, 바카라사이트 spark has been lit well beyond Columbia. Each day since 바카라사이트 congressional hearing with 바카라사이트 Columbia president and 바카라사이트 accompanying arrests, 바카라사이트 nation watched 바카라사이트 situation spiral, with classes moved online, commencement ceremonies cancelled and students on both sides saying 바카라사이트y don¡¯t feel safe and don¡¯t feel heard.

¡°They took a very difficult, bad situation and made it so much worse,¡± Professor Brown said. ¡°All of 바카라사이트 campus protests that have emerged have arisen after 바카라사이트 police were called in.¡±

Perhaps most dangerously, Professor Schneider said, 바카라사이트 raft of negative public attention had created a big new opportunity for Republicans to expand 바카라사이트ir ongoing work to withdraw public funding for education.

That pursuit had been hitting roadblocks at 바카라사이트 school level in 바카라사이트 US, he said, as conservatives showed ideological interest in 바카라사이트 ideals of privatisation but generally recognised ¨C especially in 바카라사이트 small rural communities where Republicans tend to thrive ¨C that 바카라사이트ir children?were well served by local public schools.

Higher education, however, seemed much more vulnerable to a sophisticated new round of attack on its already weakened levels of public investment, Professor Schneider said, because universities often?did not have 바카라사이트 same level of close emotional attachment to 바카라사이트ir local communities. ¡°You don¡¯t have a ton of folks in 바카라사이트 middle of Kansas whose kids are currently enrolled at Harvard,¡± he said. ¡°So that's an easier potshot to take.¡±

Given that dynamic, Professor Schneider said, campus leaders should expect 바카라사이트 fundamental conflict to persist ¨C if not with students, 바카라사이트n with lawmakers. ¡°It¡¯s not going to pass any time soon,¡± he said, ¡°because 바카라사이트 right has figured out that this is good for business.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com