Debates on college campuses over what makes a protest antisemitic

[KARAH RUCKER]

RIGHT NOW –

CAMERAS ACROSS THE U.S. ARE POINTED TOWARD COLLEGE CAMPUSES.

STUDENTS KNOW IT.

THE FLAGS. THE POSTERS. THE GRAFFITI.

ALL FLOWN, HELD, AND WRITTEN WITH INTENT.

IT’S THAT INTENTION –

THAT IS UP FOR SOME SERIOUS NATIONAL DEBATE.

ARE THE PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS ANTI-ISRAEL?

OR ANTI-JEW?

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?

THE ANSWER? LARGELY DEPENDS ON A PERSON’S POLITICS –

WHICH IS ONE REASON FOR SUCH A DIVIDE IN AMERICANS’ OPINIONS ON WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN NEXT IN THESE COLLEGE CAMPUS PROTESTS. 

TO TELL THE STORY OF WHAT THESE PROTESTS LOOK LIKE  –

THERE’S A WIDE RANGE OF PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ONLINE TO CHOOSE FROM.

THERE’S PHOTOS LIKE THIS.

OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLIES. 

AND VIDEOS LIKE THIS.

OF PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS –

PEOPLE STANDING UP FOR PALESTINIANS WHO **THEY FEEL** ISRAEL IS COMMITTING GENOCIDE AGAINST.

THEN – THERE’S IMAGES LIKE THIS.

A STUDENT IN A HAMAS HEADBAND.

A “FINAL SOLUTION” POSTER – AN EXPRESSION USED BY HITLER MEANING “EXTERMINATE ALL JEWS.”

VIDEOS –

OF JEWISH STUDENTS WHO SAY THEY ARE BEING BLOCKED BY PROTESTERS ON CAMPUS GROUNDS.

INSTANCES WHERE SIDES COLLIDE AND INTERACTIONS INTENSIFY.

THREATENING  RHETORIC – LEADING TO STUDENT SUSPENSIONS.

ITS THESE REPRESENTATIONS THAT HAVE SOME JEWISH STUDENTS AND STAFF SAYING THE PROTESTS – ARE NOT JUST ANTI-ISRAEL –

BUT ANTI-SEMITIC – AND NEED TO BE STOPPED.

ONE OF THE REASONS THE RHETORIC IS SO DIVISIVE –

IS BECAUSE WORDS AND SLOGANS USED BY THE TWO SIDES HAVE DIFFERENT MEANINGS FOR BOTH.

“FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA” HAS BECOME A BATTLECRY FOR PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS WHO CALL IT A QUOTE “CALL FOR FREEDOM AND HUMAN RIGHTS.”

BUT IT’S ORIGIN CALLS FOR THE ABOLISHMENT OF ISRAEL – AN EXPRESSION JEWS SAY TARGETS THEIR LIVES.

SAME WITH INTIFADA. PRO-PALESTINIANS CALL IT A RESISTANCE MOVEMENT.

BUT HISTORY SHOWS PREVIOUS CALLS FOR INTIFADA LED TO THE SLAUGHTER OF JEWISH PEOPLE.

AT WHAT POINT DOES PRO-PALESTINIAN POLITICAL SPEECH CROSS THE LINE INTO ANTI-SEMITIC HATE SPEECH?

THAT’S A QUESTION UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP IS LEFT TO ANSWER AS CIVIL UNREST ENGULFS THEIR CAMPUSES.

BUT ALREADY – SOME RESPONSES – ARE BEING SCRUTINIZED.

A PROTEST AT EMORY UNIVERSITY ENDED WITH REINFORCEMENTS BEING CALLED IN.

DEMOCRATIC STATE LAWMAKERS IN GEORGIA JOINTLY CONDEMNED IT AS “A DANGEROUS ESCALATION TO PROTESTS WHICH WERE BY ALL ACCOUNTS PEACEFUL AND NONVIOLENT.”

AND ON THE OTHER SIDE – **INACTION BY UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS –

IS BEING SPOTLIGHTED IN POLITICAL ADS BY REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS.

“Unchecked antisemitism has become commonplace on Columbia’s campus. The university’s inaction has left jewish students abandoned.”

THE DIVIDE ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES IS INTENSIFYING.

“NEXT STEPS” FROM UNIVERSITIES ARE BEING MET WITH OPPOSITION.

IN RED INK – THE WORDS “COLUMBIA WILL BURN” WRITTEN ON NOTICES SENT TO ENCAMPMENTS ALERTING THEM TO DISPERSE – BUT IGNORED.

AND AN ACADEMIC BUILDING VANDALIZED AND OCCUPIED BY PROTESTERS.

THE “COLLEGE CAMPUS PROTESTS” ARE INVOKING STRONG OPINIONS FROM BOTH POLITICAL SIDES –

AND BOTH PROMINENT DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS HAVE CONDEMNED PROTESTS THAT CROSS THE LINE TO ANTI-SEMITIC.

ITS CAPTURED THE MEDIA’S ATTENTION –

BUT WILL IT  MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN POLLING OF AMERICAN VOTERS?

A NEW GALLUP POLL OUT TODAY SHOWS IMMIGRATION IS STILL THE TOP ISSUE HEADING INTO NOVEMBER.

ANOTHER POLL SHOWS TWO IN FIVE VOTERS SAY THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR IS IMPORTANT TO THEIR 2024 VOTE.

THERE’S MORE THAN SIX MONTHS UNTIL ELECTION DAY.

AND A LOT CAN CHANGE HERE – AND OVERSEAS – IN THAT TIME FRAME.