College students rank Gaza war as least important issue in poll

Only 8% of college students say they’ve participated on either side of campus protests concerning the Israel-Hamas war, while a small portion view the war as an important issue, according to a poll by Generation Lab obtained by Axios.

Students ranked the conflict in the Middle East as the least important issue (13%) facing them out of nine options. Health care reform ranked the top issue (40%), followed by educational funding and access (38%), according to the poll.

In the wake of pro-Palestinian protests that began at Columbia University on April 17 and spread to colleges and universities nationwide, the poll found that 81% of students support universities holding protesters accountable who destroy property, vandalize or illegally occupy campus buildings.