Washington: Pro-Palestine protests have spread to more college campuses in the US, denouncing the mounting deaths in Gaza. Over a hundred students have been arrested for campus occupation, which Jewish students claim to be antisemitic.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the US protests as “horrific” and said that “antisemitic mobs have taken over leading universities.” “Anti-Semitism on campuses in the United States is reminiscent of what happened in German universities in the 1930s. The world cannot stand idly by,” he said sharing a video message.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre played down the protests and said Biden backed free speech. She told reporters President Biden “believes that free speech, debate and non-discrimination on college campuses are important.” The White House had earlier condemned antisemitism on college campuses over pro-Palestine protests.
House Speaker Mike Johnson faced jeers during his visit to the Columbia campus on Wednesday, which he denounced as a “mob rule” and “virus of antisemitism”. His suggestion that the National Guard could be brought in sparked strong emotions and brought back memories of the 1970 killing of unarmed students protesting the Vietnam war.
Israel had launched the war against the Palestinian Hamas group after they attacked bordering areas on October 7 and claimed at least 1,170 lives. The war, in its seventh month, has also seen 34,200 deaths in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and sparked concerns across the world.
