Jewish students grapple with how to respond to pro-Palestinian campus protests

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Colleges And Universities News

Israel-Hamas War,Protests And Demonstrations,Israel

As pro-Palestinian student protests dominated college campuses across the country in recent weeks, Jewish students had fervent debates over how to respond. Like many Americans, Jewish students’ views on the war in Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict are wide-ranging and often nuanced.

Rabbi Levi Cunin, with Chabad on Campus, speaks during a pro-Israel rally at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., Thursday, May 2, 2024. Protestors make signs before a pro-Israel rally at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., Thursday, May 2, 2024. Rabbi Levi Cunin, with Chabad on Campus, speaks during a pro-Israel rally at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., Thursday, May 2, 2024.

At George Washington University in Washington, D.C., about 150 people — including many Jewish students — gathered Thursday in a grassy courtyard for an event billed as “A Rally Against Antisemitism on Campus.” The campus tensions are complicated by the deep history and emotions wrapped up in the Israel-Hamas war. It began on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants attacked Israel and killed roughly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 250 hostage — the deadliest attack against Jews since the Holocaust.

Some examples from campus protests that stung: A poster depicting the Star of David crossed out in red. “Death to Israel” scrawled in spray paint. Chants of “We are Hamas.” A chalked plea to “Bring them home” muddled under the sole of a shoe. Baum insisted that hateful posters were taken down as they were spotted, and said the only antisemitism she had witnessed was from several Jewish counter protesters, mostly older adults, who confronted the encampment on Sunday.

Schmeltz, who is one of the leaders of the national Jewish on Campus Student Union, said the group has strategized on how to respond as protests multiplied.

 

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