Results for: Israel-Gaza Conflict

Protests over the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict have erupted on college campuses across the country, sparking intense crackdowns and political scrutiny. At Columbia University, Yale, and New York University, students have faced mass arrests as administrators seek to quell the unrest. Protesters are calling on universities to divest from firms that profit from Israel’s occupation in Gaza and end military research and weapons development work. Concerns about antisemitism at the protests have also reignited tensions.

Independent presidential candidate Cornel West believes that both major American political parties are beyond saving. He points to the crisis in the Republican Party, the neofascism of former President Trump, and the undercutting of the Democratic establishment as reasons for his lack of faith in either party. West, an intellectual and activist, has been a fierce critic of Israel’s war in Gaza and has defended his third-party candidacy as a moral imperative despite concerns that it could undermine President Biden’s reelection bid. West has also criticized Robert F. Kennedy, another independent presidential candidate, for his comments about Palestinians. West believes that there is a variety of different Palestinian voices in the resistance movement and that Hamas does not speak for every Palestinian. He also believes that it is important to address the history of killings and occupations before discussing counter-terrorist responses.

Columbia University students participating in a protest against Israel’s war in Gaza claim that university officials have threatened to deploy the National Guard and police to disperse their encampment. The students have vowed to resist these threats and continue their protest. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has stated that she currently has no plans to involve the National Guard in response to the protests.

The US Senate’s approval of $13 billion in military aid to Israel has intensified the conflict in Gaza. Amidst growing fears of an invasion of Rafah, the US aid has sparked protests against Israel’s conduct in the war. Despite the urgent need for humanitarian aid, obstacles persist, while Israel vows to proceed with its offensive on Rafah. Allegations of mass graves and the role of UNRWA have further complicated the situation.

College campuses across the country have become home to protests and encampments against Israel’s war on Gaza — leading to hundreds of arrests. The protesters across the numerous universities are calling for a permanent cease-fire, university divestment from companies making money off of the war, an end to U.S. military assistance for Israel, and amnesty for disciplined student or faculty protesters. In one high-profile instance at Columbia University in New York, more than 100 people were arrested Thursday as students and faculty protested the university’s Israel-related investments. The demonstrations mirror a week of protests at the university in 1968 over the Vietnam War, which led to more than 700 arrests and nearly 150 reported injuries. The present-day Columbia demonstrations seem to have added fuel to numerous other demonstrations across the country despite the arrests. On Monday, 120 protesters were arrested at New York University, 47 students were arrested at Yale University , and three people were arrested at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. On Tuesday, nine people at the University of Minnesota were arrested, and two were arrested at Ohio State University. The demonstrations at Columbia and across the country have been labeled as antisemitic and unsafe for Jewish students. But many of the protesters at these campuses’ “solidarity encampments” are themselves Jewish students calling for Palestinian freedom. For example, students with the Jewish Voice for Peace, alongside Students for Justice in Palestine, at the University of Rochester formed encampments on campus, according to a post on X from the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, Justin O’Connor. The White House joined university administrators earlier this week in condemning the protests, presuming that Jewish students in the U.S. automatically support Israel’s military offensive in Gaza ― a dangerous assumption that JVP said is “actively harming Palestinian and Jewish students.” Faculty and staff at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, condemned the war and President Joe Biden ’s stance in a statement as Biden is set to be the college’s commencement speaker.

Across the United States, university campuses have become rallying grounds for protests against the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Students and faculty, particularly those affiliated with organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, have taken to the streets to demand an immediate ceasefire, an end to US military aid to Israel, and the divestment of university endowments from companies supporting the conflict. The protests have led to significant disruptions, arrests, and heightened tensions on campuses, with police responding to reports of assault and vandalism. Universities are grappling with the challenge of balancing free expression with the safety and well-being of their communities.

Despite Western warnings, Israel is preparing for a ground invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where Hamas militants continue to launch rocket attacks on Israeli civilians. The conflict has caused widespread devastation, with thousands of Palestinians killed or wounded and hundreds of thousands displaced. Local residents in the nearby Israeli community of Sderot remain under constant threat of rocket fire and have expressed their fear and frustration over the ongoing violence.

Jewish groups are planning protests in cities across the country, including Brooklyn, where they plan to risk mass arrest by closing down the street where US Leader Chuck Schumer resides. The protests, planned for the second night of Passover, come amid a spate of demonstrations on college campuses over Israel’s war in Gaza. Hundreds of students and others have been arrested at universities, while critics have accused some protesters of antisemitism and harassment. The White House is monitoring the situation closely and has said it will speak out against antisemitic rhetoric. New York City police arrested more than 120 protesters on New York University’s campus late on Monday.

Widespread student protests have erupted across multiple US universities in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Columbia University faced criticism for calling police on protesters, leading to over 100 arrests. The demonstrations have spurred backlash, with accusations of antisemitism, but protesters deny these allegations. On Monday, Columbia faculty walked out in solidarity with the students, and other universities, including NYU, Yale, and Harvard, witnessed protests. The demonstrations reflect growing discontent among young Americans over US support for Israel, with calls for a ceasefire and divestment from companies linked to Israel.

In the wake of ongoing tensions surrounding the Israel-Gaza conflict, the offices of Congressmen John Carter (R-Texas) and Adam Smith (D-Wash.) have been vandalized by protesters. Rep. Carter’s Georgetown, Texas, office was targeted with blood-red paint, with the words “Free Gaza” emblazoned on the concrete. The incident has prompted a misdemeanor criminal mischief investigation by Georgetown police, who are actively seeking the perpetrators. Rep. Smith’s home in Bellevue, Washington, was also vandalized in a separate demonstration, with protesters advocating for a ceasefire in the Middle East region. Rep. Carter has condemned the vandalism, vowing that the responsible parties will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Despite the incidents, both Congressmen Carter and Smith have asserted that they will not be deterred from their political stances. The incidents underscore the heightened political tensions over the Israel-Gaza conflict and the potential for further acts of vandalism or violence as the situation continues to develop.