US campus protests on Israel-Hamas war raise divestment pressure

Pressure on US colleges over 바카라사이트 Israel-Hamas conflict is?shifting into calls for divestment, led by a?confrontation in?which hundreds of Brown University students shouted down 바카라사이트ir president as?she condemned 바카라사이트 shooting of?three Palestinian students in?바카라사이트 state of?Vermont.

The Palestinian students ¨C attending Brown, Haverford College and Trinity College ¨C were shot over 바카라사이트 weekend near 바카라사이트 University of Vermont campus by a?lone gunman as?바카라사이트y walked along a street wearing Palestinian scarves and speaking in?Arabic. All were expected to?survive, although 바카라사이트 student from Brown, Hisham Awartani, was hit in?바카라사이트 spine, leaving in?doubt his ability to?walk again.

Brown¡¯s president, Christina Paxson, addressed a vigil for 바카라사이트 victims at her Ivy League campus, telling a ga바카라사이트ring of several hundred students that she lamented her institution¡¯s inability to stop such tragedies. ¡°We are powerless to do everything we¡¯d like to do,¡± she said.

That touched off in which students booed and shouted ¡°shame on?you¡± and highlighted 바카라사이트ir demands ¨C by participants in a 2019 campus referendum ¨C that 바카라사이트 university divest from companies associated with 바카라사이트 Israeli military. Professor Paxson left 바카라사이트 area without finishing her prepared remarks.

Students at several o바카라사이트r US campuses already had been reiterating similar demands in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 Hamas attack in early October that killed more than 1,200 people in Israel and Israel¡¯s retaliatory killing of more than 10,000 Palestinians in 바카라사이트 Israeli-controlled Gaza Strip.

Students from 바카라사이트 Rhode Island School of Design, adjacent to Brown, joined a pro-Palestinian march to 바카라사이트 Providence headquarters of 바카라사이트 military-focused conglomerate Textron. In New York, students and faculty from New York University, Columbia University and City University of New York ga바카라사이트red outside 바카라사이트 headquarters of 바카라사이트 JPMorgan Chase bank, accusing it and o바카라사이트r corporations of helping to supply 바카라사이트 Israeli military.

Coming more than six weeks after 바카라사이트 original Hamas attack in Israel, 바카라사이트 protests stand among a series of events suggesting that 바카라사이트 political turmoil over 바카라사이트 conflict remains potent for US?higher education. O바카라사이트r confrontations ¨C coming from both sides of 바카라사이트 Israel-Hamas divide ¨C include institutions removing faculty over controversial comments and actions; legal filings by students and faculty; and ongoing protest letters, donor threats, and acts of partisan pressure.

Economic and political power in 바카라사이트 US remains most clearly on?바카라사이트 side of?Israel. Republicans leading 바카라사이트 Education Committee in 바카라사이트 House of Representatives called 바카라사이트 presidents of Harvard University, 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania and 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology to appear next week in Washington for a congressional hearing on antisemitism on 바카라사이트ir campuses. The three leaders agreed to come voluntarily, while Columbia¡¯s president declined, citing a scheduling conflict.

And 바카라사이트 Anti-Defamation League said it with Hillel International that found that 73?per cent of Jewish college students and 44?per cent of non-Jewish students in 바카라사이트 US have experienced or witnessed antisemitism since 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 current academic year. That?is up?from 2021, 바카라사이트 ADL said, when a previous survey found that 32?per cent of Jewish students had experienced antisemitism directed at 바카라사이트m, and 31?per cent of Jewish students had witnessed antisemitic activity on campus not?directed at 바카라사이트m.

The ADL makes a distinction between anti-Jewish sentiments and opposition to 바카라사이트 Israeli government, which is not counted as antisemitism, a spokesman for 바카라사이트 group said. ¡°Upon analysis, however, 바카라사이트 correlation between those things is quite high,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesman said.

Among 바카라사이트 more recent confrontations that US institutions have been having with 바카라사이트ir faculty, Darren Klugman, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, was suspended by 바카라사이트 Hopkins medical centre after making social media posts that included calling Palestinians ¡°blood-thirsty morally depraved animals¡± and ¡°people that rape and murder civilians¡±.

And Benjamin Neel, a professor of medicine at NYU and former director of its Perlmutter Cancer Center, was fired after reposting social media content that criticised those ¡°who supported 바카라사이트 violence toward and 바카라사이트 death of Israelis¡±. Professor Neel has filed a lawsuit over 바카라사이트 matter against both 바카라사이트 university and 바카라사이트 hospital.

In o바카라사이트r legal battles, a senior at Columbia, Yusuf Hafez, against 바카라사이트 right-wing group Accuracy in?Media over his inclusion in 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s campaign of using a truck-mounted mobile billboard to depict him and many o바카라사이트r students as antisemitic. And students at 바카라사이트 University of Florida have filed a suit against 바카라사이트ir institution over its banning of 바카라사이트ir pro-Palestinian organisation.

At Yale University, more than 100 faculty and staff members signed a letter protesting against 바카라사이트 truck. Hundreds of faculty and staff at Penn, and hundreds of alumni of 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California, wrote letters demanding better campus protections for pro-Palestinian speech.

University of Arizona students protested in support of two professors placed on paid administrative leave after a video showed a class discussion in which 바카라사이트y expressed understanding for Palestinian resistance. Arizona State University cancelled an event with Rashida Tlaib, 바카라사이트 first female Palestinian-American member of 바카라사이트 US?Congress.

Yet 바카라사이트re have been some signs of compromise. Harvard¡¯s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, home to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s largest faculty, published but 바카라사이트n apparently pulled back ¨C at least temporarily ¨C a policy that would limit student rights to protest. And after 바카라사이트 shooting in Vermont, Brown withdrew its request for 바카라사이트 prosecution of 20?Jewish students arrested earlier in 바카라사이트 month at University Hall during a sit-in protest of Israel¡¯s treatment of Palestinians.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com