Israel as a detonator. U.S. school storm raises debate over free speech

A wave of protests over the war in Gaza is spreading through American universities. Pro-Palestinian protesters are demanding that schools cut financial ties with Israel and companies involved in the conflict. Israeli and American Jewish students, on the other hand, draw attention to manifestations of anti-Semitism, which, according to them, accompany some of the protests. What effect can student protests have?

What you will also hear in today’s episode at 5:59

Last week, a camp with several dozen tents was set up on the grounds of Columbia University in New York, near which a banner reading “Liberated Zone” appeared. It was built by pro-Palestinian protesters who side with the people living in Gaza and call for things like ending the exchange program for students from Israel.

After a few days, however, the police came to the camp and arrested about a hundred students. The decision to move away from tolerating protests on campus was made by Columbia University Chancellor Nemat Shafiková, who later stated that the demonstrations were “abused” by individuals who are not studying at the school and are only pursuing their own interests on campus.

“That campus is not isolated from the city. So outsiders who are not part of the university community can flock to the protests. And that, of course, creates a different kind of dynamic,” explains professor of political science and international relations Milan Babík, who currently teaches at the American university Colby College in the state of Maine, in the 5:59 podcast.

On the contrary, the situation in his workplace is more or less calm. Babík describes that dozens of students are protesting in front of the local library or student center, and there is no serious disruption of teaching. He also sees the causes in the different environment in which the school is located. “Colby College is a relatively small university with a clearly defined campus set in a more or less rural setting. Students are in close daily contact, they have personal ties, which makes dialogue possible,” adds the political scientist.

In other parts of the country, however, this week, on the contrary, the situation intensified again. Other arrests of protesters took place on the campuses of Yale and New York University. Fearing for the safety of students, Columbia University switched to distance learning on Monday due to the demonstrations.

It is really important to pay close attention to whether pro-Palestinian associations define themselves against Jews, whether it is really anti-Semitism, or whether they express support for the Palestinian population in Gaza.

According to Babík, however, the debate about how to approach the situation continues. And there is discussion, for example, about the question of what manifestations of protest are already beyond the acceptable limit of freedom of speech. According to the Czech political scientist, behind it lies, for example, incitement to violence or threats.

“At the same time, it is important to note that the label of anti-Semitism is a very effective tool to silence someone. So it is really important to pay close attention to whether pro-Palestinian associations define themselves against Jews, whether it is really anti-Semitism, or whether they express support for the Palestinian population in Gaza,” explains Babík.

According to him, in addition to the pro-Palestinian protests, some Jewish students who feel a sense of belonging with ordinary Palestinians in Gaza also join. Babík considers it too flattening to portray the demonstrating groups automatically as anti-Semitic.

Protests on American campuses, which have been going on since the fall in response to the war that broke out after the attack by Hamas militants on Israel, nevertheless began to affect the political situation in the US within months.

For example, because of them, at the turn of this year, two rectors of leading universities resigned – Liz Magillová, who headed the Pennsylvania State University, and Claudine Gayová, the head of Harvard. And this after both women working in the rather liberal-left environment of American universities attended a hearing in Congress, where a Republican congresswoman asked them whether calls to genocide violate the codes of their schools.

“The questions the Gays were asked there must also be understood in this context. From a certain angle, it was an attempt – in this case successful – to discredit one of the most famous educational institutions in the United States (Harvard University) and portray it as a breeding ground for liberal elites who cannot deal with anti-Semitism or even tolerate it,” says the political scientist.

At the same time, according to Babík, the uniformity of opinion in the American university environment is evident. Universities thus close themselves into “bubbles detached from the everyday needs, concerns and lives of Americans. (…) This detachment from reality is a very serious problem,” says the Czech professor.

And he adds that as a result, students often miss out on some of the more “realistic, concrete and pragmatic” issues. For example, it is said that many are not aware of the security situation in which Israel finds itself. And, according to Babík, there is not even an appropriate discussion among students about the context in which the United States has been involved in the Middle East for a long time.

Nevertheless, Milan Babík would not overestimate the current escalation of protests at American universities. He believes that to a certain extent it is related to the approaching exam period, when school management needs to ensure order all the more. “I expect that within six weeks the protests will calm down because the summer vacations will come, classes will end, graduations will take place and those campuses will empty to some extent,” the professor adds.

In the 5:59 podcast, you will also find out what kind of reaction the bans of pro-Palestinian associations on some universities have caused in the American academic environment, or whether demonstrations on campuses can also affect the November presidential race in the USA. Listen in the player at the beginning of the article.

Podcast 5:59