Demonstrations of war against Israel have been on the rise in many universities in the United States. To prevent a security crisis on campus, some Ivy League schools have tightened control measures, adopted teaching on -line or asked the police to arrest protesters.
Scholars interviewed said the Biden administration is trying to strike a balance between supporting Israeli policies and dampening the wave of protests But, if the situation worsens, it is not insist that Washington will take more measures to suppress the demonstrators, although this will. adversely affect President Biden 11 The re-election campaign will be affected.
To reduce and suppress the anti-Semitic wave on campus, Columbia University on the East Coast announced on Monday (April 22) that it will move to online classes at Yale University, MIT, New York University, and the University of Michigan at least 47 protesters were arrested for refusing to leave the camp. On the West Coast, at the University of California, Berkeley, hundreds of students began setting up a camp to protest.
The anti-Palestinian activists demanded that the school suspend economic ties with Israel and academic programs funded by Israeli businesses or donors. However, the school took a harder line, asking the police to enter the school to arrest demonstrators, restrict student activities to avoid crowd gatherings, and ban pro-Palestinian activities. off.
US police began operating on the New York University campus on the evening of the 22nd and arrested more than 130 demonstrators. The school said that many people outside the school joined the demonstration and broke through the fence set up by the school, so they decided to contact the police. Police also arrested more than 100 people at a demonstration at Columbia University last Thursday (18th).
Outside Columbia University, pro-Palestinian demonstrators held up a banner reading “Israel Killed 14,000 Children” on Monday to protest Israel’s military operations in Gaza. A large number of police officers were present to maintain security. (AFP) To prevent students from gathering for demonstrations, Harvard University has banned people from entering Harvard Square since last week and suspended pro-Palestinian activities on the campus. (AFP)
Columbia President Shafik said in an open letter to students on Monday: “There have been too many incidents of intimidation and harassment on campus in the past few days. “People’s language is inappropriate and we will take appropriate action.”
Scholar: Protests unlikely to reverse US policy toward Israel
Liu Yongtao, a professor at Fudan University’s Center for American Studies, analyzed in an interview with a reporter from Lianhe Zaobao that sporadic protests on American campuses began as early as the early days of the Israel-Kazakhstan conflict, but they were at last. The impetus for the new round of demonstrations was the United States’ vote last Thursday (April 18) to reject Palestine’s decision to become a full member of the United Nations, and the House of Representatives’ approval last Saturday of US $13 billion (about S. $17.7 billion) in military aid to Israel.
Liu Yongtao judged: “If the wave of protests continues to overflow, it is not expected that Washington will intervene to stop it. the relationship between the United States and Israel is complicated Even if the protests rise further, it will also be difficult to reverse Washington’s current Israeli policy. “
Many activists at New York University were also camping on campus, and some fought with the police and were arrested when they refused to leave the camp. Videos on social media showed police removing the tents. (AFP) In addition to universities on the East Coast, there were camp protests on Tuesday at the University of California, Berkeley, on the West Coast. (AFP)
John Donaldson, an associate professor of political science at the School of Social Sciences at the Singapore Management University, had a similar view, and bluntly said that Biden was “powerless” in the campus protests.
Du Qiang told Lianhe Zaobao: “In terms of Israel policy, Biden is under pressure from the left and the right and he cannot support Israel. He cannot control Netanyahu even if people pressure him, so he can’t do anything.”
It is unclear whether this wave of protests will become a student movement that spreads across the country, but Wang Yong, a professor at Peking University’s School of International Relations and director of the Center for American Studies, detailed -check on Lianhe Zaobao if yes. the demonstrations worsen, they may eventually force the Biden administration If the Biden administration takes control, it is not ruled out that bloodshed could occur, or even turn into a student protest movement against the government, which will greatly affect the election of Biden.
Liu Yongtao pointed out that we must continue to pay attention to whether this campus demonstration would spread on a large scale on the West Coast and become another stimulus that divides American society. In addition, we must also take into account whether the wave of protests will go over to European campuses and put pressure on the policies of European countries in the Middle East.
Du Qiang said one of the current controversies is whether student demonstrations should be considered anti-Semitic, and that it is also difficult for college campuses to strike a balance between protecting free speech and banning hate speech. . In addition, Biden faces the dilemma of not losing voters while continuing to support Israel. A balancing act is not going well.
Du Qiang said: “I expect Biden to give a speech to respond to this incident… One speech cannot solve the problem, but I think he must speak as soon as possible.”
Pro-Palestinian activists from Harvard University and MIT held a rally at MIT on Monday (April 22). (AFP)
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2024-04-23 15:25:00
