Hillary Clinton Accuses Campus Protesters of Being Ignorant of Mideast and US History
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has criticized pro-Palestine demonstrations on college campuses, alleging that young protesters lack historical knowledge about the Middle East and the United States.
appearing on the MSNBC show “Morning Joe” on Thursday, Clinton claimed that she has met several youngsters over the last few months, adding that “I have had many conversations” with them. She went on to state that these young people “don’t know very much at all about the history of the Middle East, or frankly about history, in many areas of the world, including in our own country.”
Clinton then discussed Yasir Arafat, the former leader of the Palestinian Authority, and the Camp David Summit in 2000. She said that young people “don’t know” that the Palestinians would already have their own state if Arafat had agreed to an agreement mediated by her husband President Bill Clinton. Terming his refusal as “one of the great tragedies of history”, she claimed that Arafat “wanted” to sign the deal but was “pretty sure he’d be killed” by Hamas terrorists.
Clinton asserted that campus protestors may have fallen to pro-Hamas “propaganda” on social media or in their classrooms, as the information they receive often contains a hidden “agenda” or lacks “any kind of context.” She stressed that “propaganda is not education” and that those disseminating content on TikTok or in the classroom should be held accountable for what they include and exclude.
The former first lady further criticized the portrayal of events in the Middle East on TikTok as “woefully false”. She called on professors to “do a better job” in helping young people understand how to “filter” and evaluate information on global events.
Clinton’s comments have sparked backlash on social media, with critics accusing her of underestimating the abilities of students and dismissing their concerns. Some pointed out that students are protesting precisely because they are knowledgeable about the situation and feel a moral obligation to speak out.
The pro-Palestine protests on college campuses stem from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Around 1,200 Israelis were killed after Hamas launched a surprising attack on Israel last October. In response, Israel launched a war against Hamas, killing at least 34,000 Palestinians, as per the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.
