On the grounds of Columbia University in New York, the once green lawns are now covered with tents and banners calling for solidarity with Gaza and an end to the fighting in the Middle East. As of Thursday, April 17, the prestigious New York University is facing a student movement that it is trying to stop.
In particular, the protesters point the finger at the academic partnership between Columbia and Tel Aviv University, which they would like to stop. The police were called several times to evacuate the camp, which only increased the tension. Above all, it had been futile since the camp had been rebuilt. On Friday, Columbia’s presidency announced it was postponing a deadline originally set at midnight for protesters to evacuate the campus.
Anti-Semitism versus freedom of expression
Since the bloody attacks by Hamas in Israel on October 7, followed by deadly reprisals by the Jewish state, the conflict has ignited passions at renowned universities in the United States, such as Harvard (near Boston), UPenn (Philadelphia), Stanford (California). ) or Princeton (New Jersey). In particular, wealthy donors have pressured the leaders of these institutions to clearly condemn Hamas attacks and support Israel. Two pro-Palestinian student groups were also banned in Colombia last year. In December, the US Congress launched an investigation into what it describes as “endemic anti-Semitism”.
But the US Constitution strongly protects free speech, and that’s what the students are arguing – despite the anti-Semitic comments that may have been reported. “The First Amendment of the Constitution protects university squares where demonstrations take place,” reminds Jean-Eric Branaa, a professor at the Paris 2 Panthéon Assas and a specialist on the United States. If these comments were made in a lecture hall under the guidance of a professor, they could not be tolerated. » On Sunday, April 21, Democratic President Joe Biden himself intervened and confirmed that anti-Semitism has “no place” on universities.
A conflict that threatens elections
In the midst of an election year, the conflict in the Middle East could have ramifications for next November’s election as it pits two populations against each other. “We see that a large majority of people under 24 are pro-Palestinian or even pro-Hamas, while more than 90% of people over 60 are pro-Israel,” points out Jean-Eric Branaa. Joe Biden is losing ground because he has trouble proposing solutions acceptable to young people, especially since Democrats are historically pro-Israel. »
Could this movement gain momentum? ” It is possible. There is a break between young people and older people who lock themselves into positions like in 1968, the researcher continues. These young people do not have the impression that the elders hear them. »And on the eve of the election, it was felt by the election The risk of abstention is high and the challenge for candidates will be to find a few percent of voters who are likely to go to the polls to make a difference.