On college campuses across America, including UNH and Dartmouth College, a surge of protests have erupted recently, calling for justice and solidarity with Palestine.
College students and young people everywhere are hitting the streets, organizing rallies and demanding an end to the unjust treatment of the Palestinian people by the Israeli government. These protests not only show a deep empathy for the Palestinian cause but also mark a critical moment in the global fight for human rights.
According to ABC News more than 2,300 people have been arrested since the protests began two weeks ago. This shows that these students are serious about standing up for Palestine. Despite being arrested, they’re not backing down, proving how important it is to talk about what’s happening and to try to make things better.
The sheer number of arrests also has people questioning the tactics by law enforcement, who are arriving in riot gear for protests that have been largely peaceful.
However, there has been some violence. For example, at the University of California in Los Angeles, pro-Palestinians protesters had their tent encampment attacked by violent anti-protesters, injuring 15 people and hospitalizing one. Multiple news sources witnessed hired security and law enforcement retreat from the scene when the encampment was being attacked.
But these young people protesting are trying to call attention to the violence and injustice in Gaza. The Palestinian people have endured too much for too long under a harsh occupation. They have faced displacement, violence and discrimination at the hands of the Israeli government.
With the recent escalation of violence in Gaza, and Israeli airstrikes hitting schools and hospitals, it has once again reminded the world that we cannot turn a blind eye to these events.
American colleges have a unique role in this struggle, standing up for justice and human rights. By showing solidarity with Palestine, these college students are sending a powerful message that the oppression of the Palestinian people will not be tolerated.
Also, many American colleges have direct ties to Israel through research partnerships, exchange programs and other investments. It is hypocritical for these institutions, who claim to teach diplomacy and critical thinking, to engage with a government that systematically violates Palestinian rights.
Colleges should divest from companies profiting from the occupation and support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement until Israel complies with international law and respects the rights of the Palestinian people.
Critics—including New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu—will claim that supporting Palestine equates to being anti-Semitic. However, criticizing the Israeli government’s policies is not an attack on the Jewish people; it’s a defense of human rights.
Palestinians, like all people, deserve dignity, free from oppression and discrimination.
To those who argue that colleges should stay neutral in political matters, I would remind them that there is no neutrality when it comes to human rights.
If history has taught us anything, we should know that silence condones oppression.
