Compassion or Hatred? What's Motivating Protesters on College Campuses?
Summary from the AllSides News Team
As protests continue on campuses across the country, voices across the spectrum are debating if the protesters are motivated by compassion for the people of Gaza or hatred for Jewish people.
From the Left: In CNN Opinion (Left bias), a Jewish student at Yale defended the protests, stating that they have “encountered a community of activists and organizers that is eager to listen, ready to learn and committed to including Jewish voices and perspectives.” The writer stated that the student protest coalition has “listened to Jewish voices in the collective decision-making on what language to use.” Rejecting allegations that the protests are anti-Semitic in nature, the writer concluded, “To see Yale protests once again swept up in accusations of antisemitism denies this experience and invalidates the Jewishness of those calling for an end to the violence in Gaza.”
From the Right: The New York Post Editorial Board (Right bias) argued the campus protests are composed “entirely of the malevolent and the idiotic: Nazi equivalents and their enablers.” Listing a series of incidents involving anti-Semitic language used at protests and by campus organizers, the board wrote that the protesters “claim to simply oppose Israel’s (utterly nonexistent) ‘genocide’ of Palestinians, though some of the kids admit they’re not really clear on any of the actual facts or even what, say, ‘intifada’ actually means.” The board argued the protests are anti-Semitic in nature, stating that they “kicked off within hours” of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and featured protesters “praising the atrocities.”
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
I’m a Jewish student at Yale. Here’s what everyone is getting wrong about the protests
Last week, I sat in Yale University’s Beinecke Plaza leading around 50 classmates in nigunim — wordless melodies from the Jewish Hasidic tradition — and other Jewish songs and prayers. As is typical when I sing nigunim, I went home that day feeling spiritually rejuvenated, but, unlike usual, most of those singing with me that day were not Jewish.
That’s because both Jewish and non-Jewish students, inspired by anti-Apartheid protests in Beinecke Plaza decades earlier, had gathered for a week-long sit-in to demand that Yale divest the portion of its endowment invested in the stocks of...
From the Center
State responses to student protests fall along red vs. blue lines
Pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses are getting very different responses from elected officials in red and blue states.
Texas is seeing pushback after immediately responding to a peaceful demonstration with arrests, and Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has threatened expulsion for students who engage in unsanctioned activism, while New York has made clear the National Guard will not be called in as authorities negotiate with the flagship Columbia University encampment.
“In general, officials are dispersing these camps before they can form more forcefully in red states than in blue states,...
From the Right
‘Pro-Palestine’ protests really ARE seeking a ‘final solution’
Hand it to that protester at George Washington University for making the real “pro-Palestine” agenda clear, by carrying a big sign with the Palestinian flag and the words “FINAL SOLUTION.”
That fits neatly with Columbia protest leader Khymani James’ “Zionists don’t deserve to live” and “Be grateful that I’m not just going out and murdering Zionists” rhetoric (which, yes, he’s apologized for — after it went viral).
And with the Columbia protester’s sign suggesting that counter-demonstrators waving an Israel flag would be “Al-Qasam’s next target.”
And with another Columbia genius...
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