Many American universities are witnessing protests, demonstrations and sit-ins in opposition to the events in Gaza since October 7, while the U.S. government is attempting to control the situation as the presidential elections draw near at the end of this year. Police conducted mass arrests at New York University in an attempt to halt the spread of protests and demonstrations on campus. Dozens were also arrested at Yale University, while Columbia University canceled a number of lectures. Additionally, several other universities across the country took similar actions by canceling lectures on their campuses, including Berkeley and MIT. President Joe Biden criticized the protests at universities, stating they were “anti-Semitic protests” and also criticizing “those who do not understand what is happening with the Palestinians”.
Columbia University President Naamah Shafiq made the decision to summon the New York Police Department to remove protesters from the university campus, sparking a wave of intense protests that erupted at New York universities. Shafiq requested the police to clear the camp the day after the protests, leading to the arrest of over 100 protesters. The university president called for discipline in an attempt to alleviate the situation, announcing that all classes would be held online. In a statement, she said, „to defuse the tension and give us all a chance to think about the next steps, I announce that all classes will be held virtually. (…) Faculty and staff who can work remotely must do so.” She added in a message to the academic community that “a working group consisting of university deans, administrators, and faculty members will explore ways to resolve the current crisis. Let us remind ourselves of our shared values of honoring learning, mutual respect, and kindness that have been the cornerstone of Columbia. I hope everyone can take a deep breath and show compassion and work together to rebuild the bonds that connect us.”
Naamah Shafiq continues to face criticism from the US public and Congress, with Ted Mitchell, President of the American Council on Education, stating, „the purpose of your protest is to draw attention to an issue, and you do that by challenging the natural order of things. It’s not a problem to be solved, but a tension to be managed.” The organization clarified that the task at hand is to achieve a balance between the demands of students, faculty members, and politicians, reflecting the complexity of managing American universities today, as observers say. AP added that the university president “initially seemed to have escaped criticism from Republican lawmakers who expressed growing concern about anti-Semitism on campus.”
Several members of Congress, led by Elise Stefanik, Republican representative from New York, signed a letter demanding the resignation of Columbia University’s president Shafiq, due to what they described as a “failure to stop gangs of students and inciters from committing crimes against Jewish students.” Democratic Party members, including Cathy Manning and Jared Moskowitz, also reacted to the protests. In an online statement, Republican Congresswoman Virginia Foxx from North Carolina said, „Columbia University has continued to fail in resetting things and restoring security“, making federal support to address violations necessary. However, some faculty members at the university blamed the administration for the current situation’s development, while simultaneously objecting to police intervention. They urged immediate course correction in a letter to BBC, stating that university rules prohibit external intervention on campus unless there are threats to students or vandalism of its buildings. The letter added, „it was not clear to us that any such danger existed on campus, and the protests did not pose any threat, although they did not receive permission to do so.”
The New York Times warned of a threat facing the Democratic Party in the United States due to protests against the Israeli war on Gaza, recalling the events of 1968 when clashes between anti-Vietnam War protesters and police occurred during the party’s national convention. The newspaper suggested that with ongoing protests against the Israeli war on Gaza, particularly on university campuses, activists are preparing to be present in Chicago this summer, where the Democratic National Convention will be held. The newspaper recalled that some Democrats were reminded of 1968 when their national convention was also in Chicago, overshadowed by battles and violence between police and anti-war protesters. At that time, many voters watched the news and got the impression that the party was not in control of delegates and did not care about the United States, which was struggling with the Vietnam War amid widespread opposition. The New York Times concluded that protests against the Israeli war on Gaza could disrupt this year’s party convention, sending a message to President Biden and Democrats, which Republicans seek to portray as causing chaos and unrest in American society.
As student protests in the United States place President Joe Biden in a “difficult position,” he attempts to balance support for Israel on one hand and ending the war in Gaza on the other, according to The Washington Post. These protests shed light on the “political challenges Biden continues to face due to his unconditional support for Israel while attempting to strike a delicate balance between condemning anti-Semitism on campuses and supporting students’ right to protest,” the paper reported. While students push their universities to sever any ties with Israel and pressure the Biden administration to halt the ceasefire, Biden’s allies and Democratic strategists say the protests are largely confined to elite colleges. They also believe it remains unclear whether opposition to US support for Israel, especially among young Democrats, will significantly impact Biden’s electoral prospects. Nonetheless, top White House aides closely monitor reports on the protests, reflecting their importance to the presidential race. However, despite the general interest in these student demonstrations, Biden’s aides do not see them as an escalation of protests that have erupted since the war began in October and do not believe they are directed at the president personally.
During the Michigan primaries, which include the largest Arab-American community in the country, protest voting “abstention” garnered more than 100,000 votes, or about 13,4 percent of the vote, according to data cited by The New York Times, which caught the attention of Biden’s campaign. Michigan, a swing state won by Biden in 2020 after most of its voters supported Trump in 2016, saw the “abstention” movement disrupt the president’s victory in the state’s primaries. Biden’s campaign faces a challenge this year in dealing with the enthusiasm of young and progressive voters to end the war while also appealing to independent and moderate Republican voters, many of whom support continued military aid to Israel. Biden is caught between two fires — if he does not do enough to appease the Arab and Muslim community, he will lose states like Wisconsin and Michigan. Conversely, if he does not support Israel, he will lose important states like Florida, which his opponent, Donald Trump, is vigorously campaigning to win, a critical state in the race.
Biden signed a National Security Act that provides aid to Israel while also calling on Israel to allow humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza “without delay.” In a televised speech after signing the law passed by Congress, Biden said, “Israel must ensure that aid reaches the Palestinians in Gaza without delay,” adding that the law will significantly increase humanitarian aid to Gaza’s residents. Biden’s signing came after the US Senate allocated about $26 billion to support Israel and provide humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza. Meanwhile, the White House announced Wednesday that President Joe Biden supports freedom of expression at American universities. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, „the President believes in the importance of freedom of expression, debate, and non-discrimination on university campuses. We believe in people’s ability to express themselves peacefully. But when we talk about hate speech and acts of violence, we must call them out.”
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