Revolt in US Universities | UPROOTED PALESTINIANS: SALAM ALQUDS ALAYKUM

A reading in Joe Biden’s letter to Hertzel

Posted on May 20, 2024 by uprootedpalestinians

May 20, 2024

Biden’s unwavering support for “Israel” vs. the students’ support for Palestine (Illustrated by Hady Dbouk; Al Mayadeen English)

The students of over 70 American universities expressed in their graduation ceremony the noblest feelings of the conscience of the American people.

But what Biden doesn’t know is that he and his entire system will not be able in the near future to guarantee the security of “Israel”, because he and the Zionist entity will not be able to kill the growing consciousness among American and Western young men and women toward the rights of the Palestinian people in their homeland and of the gross injustices committed against these people during the last eight decades. These young students of men and women in American and Western universities who are taking noble stands in support of helpless Palestinians are going to be the rulers in the future when Biden and his like-minded people will no longer be there and when the innocent blood of all these martyrs of children, women, journalists, scientists, doctors, and others will come to fruition in restoring the just and inalienable rights of the Palestinians, which were undermined by tyrants, occupiers, and terrorists, as well as their supporters for decades.

In his letter to the head of the Zionist entity on the 76th occasion of Nakbah (which they call “Independence Day”), Biden said, “My commitment to the security of Israel is solid and it is necessary that we work together,” adding, “The commitment of the United States to the security of Israel is unshaken.” This statement renders all of Biden’s alleged efforts in the course of working for peace in the region and creating a better future for all its people meaningless. After all, the absolute commitment of the United States to the security of “Israel”, drowning it with money and armaments to perpetrate genocide, and using the VETO in the Security Council to prevent anyone from taking it to task is the most important factor that enabled this entity to perpetrate horrendous genocide against the Palestinian people that has no parallel in modern history.

There is no doubt that Biden and his aides, who are not even embarrassed to say, “We found no evidence of Israel committing genocide” and who give shameful, illogical, and contradictory statements… there is no doubt that they are basing their hopes on conspiratorial partners who are prepared to cooperate with them to inflict more injustice on these great Palestinian people and to complement other unlawful accords that they historically seek in their desperate attempts to silence those people who truly belong to their homeland and who are prepared to pay sacrifices to keep their rights on it.

But what Biden and his followers are going to discover is that the Palestinian cause is no longer reliant on their will and they are no longer able to trade the rights of the Palestinian people with some short-sighted personal advantages. The Palestinian cause has reached today a very crucial juncture in which it has transcended from being a regional, Arab, or even Islamic cause to being a human cause that moves and influences free consciences everywhere in the world. It also plants awareness in the minds of the youth, which will certainly be translated into action that ends the occupation and Western tyranny and inspires a new future not only for Palestinians but for humanity at large. The Palestinian cause will liberate the international will from injustice and tyranny and will contribute to the emergence of a multipolar world system in which neither the US nor its Western partners will be able to facilitate the perpetration of all these crimes against humanity under the sight and hearing of the entire world.

The students of the Faculty of Liberal Arts at Minnesota University, along with the students of Colombia University and 70 other American universities expressed in their graduation ceremony the noblest feelings of the conscience of American people. Each one of them carried a board greeting Gaza, calling for an end to the genocide, chanting: “Palestine is free from the river to the sea,” Each one of them held the board in front of them so that it could be seen before they walked to receive their degrees. There is no doubt that their brave and noble stand in support of people who are facing the most heinous types of injustice is more important than the degree they were awarded. The degrees do not define them; they define the degrees, define themselves, and give merit to the best traits of the American people. As the degrees prove their academic capabilities and performance, their courageous and noble stand in support of a people who suffer today from horrifying injustice is a very honorable stand, which they and their children would be proud of. Those young men and women are going to be the governors in the future, and they will undoubtedly absolve themselves from the shameful legacy of successive American administrations, especially Biden’s, and open a new page that represents acclaimed American values. In every domain in the US, the first thing they stress is the principle of a “win-win” situation, except with regard to the Arab cause, in which they commit themselves to the security of the Zionist entity at the expense of the lands, lives, and the very existence of the Arabs in their homeland.

From this perspective, we can understand the statement of Josep Borrell, the high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, when he said that the United States is showing fatigue in its Middle East diplomacy in seeking a solution. The principal cause for this fatigue is that American diplomacy seeks to abrogate Palestinian rights in their homeland and is bent on calling that a solution. That is why all Western media promoted the Israeli maxim of “eliminating Hamas”, while the true intention or plan was to wage a war of genocide against all Palestinians. That is also why the Zionists refused every version submitted by mediators because they are bent on this genocide against all Palestinian people and all their resistance to occupation. The genocide was perpetrated against all Palestinian people and all their institutions, schools, universities, hospitals, mosques, churches, bakeries, and anything that helps to make life possible.

That is why what the Zionists had perpetrated in Gaza and Palestine, in general, is an international issue and no longer only an Arab or Islamic one. Just as the struggle to liberate South Africa from Apartheid was an international cause, so is Palestine today. South Africa honored its history by submitting a case to the International Court of Justice to take punitive measures against “Israel” and shed light on the danger of what was committed against Palestinian civilians. Leaders in Latin America also took honorable stands in support of the Palestinians, and 143 countries in the General Assembly voted to grant Palestine full UN membership.

What is required today from all sectors and all international syndicates and professional unions is action, each in their domain to bring “Israel” to task, expel it from international forums, register the names of those who were victims of this genocide, and lead a legal case in international courts against “Israel”. The Israelis have killed athletes and their trainers and referees. They killed over a 100 academicians, professors, and researchers. They killed hundreds of doctors and medical staff. International organizations in all these fields and other fields should boycott the Israeli entity, isolate it, and drag it to the International Court of Justice for all these crimes.

There is no doubt that the US and Western countries in general have morally fallen to the abyss during this horrifying aggression on Gaza. The only ones who restored some of the hope in our hearts are those brave and noble university students, as well as the officials and Jewish people who resigned from their posts in protest of the genocide and in defense of the Palestinian people and of what is left of their countries’ credibility.

When real names and numbers of those killed in Gaza are released, world forces will move on guided by the experience and example of South Africa. By then, Biden and his aides will be in the dark pages of history, and only those who fought, resisted, and persisted in defending their homelands and those who supported them will shine in history pages forever. That is when the world would have moved beyond the ugly imperialist, Zionist system to a much safer and happier multipolar world.

The opinions mentioned in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Al mayadeen, but rather express the opinion of its writer exclusively.

Large police force invades Columbia University, as students ‘stay put’

Posted on May 1, 2024 by uprootedpalestinians

July 01, 2024

Source: Agencies

New York Police Department officers in riot gear march onto Columbia University campus, where pro-Palestine students are barricaded inside Hind’s Hall which they occupied at an earlier time, in New York City, New York, the United States, on April 30, 2024. *(AFP)*

By Al Mayadeen English

Police have deployed to multiple universities in New York after pro-Palestine protesters occupied buildings.

Police were heavily deployed at Columbia University, New York, on Tuesday and eventually crackdown on protesters participating in the pro-Palestine encampment.

Moreover, local organizers have said that New York police arrived at The City College of New York (CCNY) after students occupied a building in CCNY escalating their action in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

Students across universities in the United States and several Western countries are protesting their universities to divest from the Israeli occupation and are calling for an immediate ceasefire, following months of the Israeli genocide of Palestinians.

At Columbia University, the institution’s administration has begun to suspend students participating in the encampment, while threatening to expel students who occupied Hamilton Hall, changing its name to Hind’s Hall, a Palestinian girl killed by Israeli occupation forces along with other members of her family in a harrowing story.

Despite punitive action taken against students and threats to expel others, the movement has remained steadfast, vowing to carry on with the protests until their demands are met.

Now, police have sealed off the Columbia University campus, erecting barricades around it, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) reporter.

“We will remain here, drawing from the lessons of our people (in Gaza) that stay put, and hold their ground even under the worst conditions,” a protester told reporters outside Hind’s Hall.

Updates on police invasion of Columbia University

At approximately, 9:00 pm (EDT) police marched toward Hind’s Hall, to disperse protestors.

SWAT AND SRG HAVE INVADED COLUMBIA’S CAMPUS AND ARE ENTERING HIND’S HALL. THEY HAVE FORCED OUT ALL PRESS TO PREVENT RECORDINGS OF THEIR BRUTALITY. pic.twitter.com/LJJ5nKrUWe
— National Students for Justice in Palestine (@NationalSJP) May 1, 2024

Local reports indicate that at least one person was detained, as police attacked protesters and prevented journalists from filming the unfolding events.

According to AFP‘s correspondent police officers arrived outside Hind’s Hall and attempted to forcibly disperse protestors from the area.

Police officers were also working on erecting a ramp, to establish a pathway to a window of Hind’s Hall, attempting to invade the building after students barricaded its entrances.

VIDEO OF THE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT WHO WAS PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS, BECAME UNCONSCIOUS, AND WAS DENIED ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE. https://t.co/hjZnpeOaHQ
— Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (@ColumbiaSJP) May 1, 2024

According to AFP, police officers could be seen going up the ramp at a later time where they would disappear inside the hall. The student newspaper, The Columbia Spectator, said that arrests were being made.

Nearing midnight, police began to lead handcuffed students from the second floor of “Hamilton Hall” toward vehicles, via a laddered truck.

Earlier, the university’s President, Minouche Shafik, had sent a letter to the NYPD, urging them to help clear the building and all campus encampments. Shafik also requested that police maintain a presence in the university to prevent the re-establishment of encampments.

List of US colleges advocating for divestment from ‘Israel’: Newsweek

Posted on April 28, 2024 by uprootedpalestinians

27 Apr 2024

Source: News websites

As student movements keep gaining momentum, Newsweek has published a list of all universities that have advocated for the severing of ties with “Israel”.

New York University students and pro-Palestinian supporters rally outside the NYU Stern School of Business building, Monday, April 22, 2024, in New York. (AP)

By Al Mayadeen English

Pro-Palestine protests have swept university campuses across the United States, with calls for the alienation from “Israel” or Israeli-affiliated institutions.

As student protests and movements increasingly gained momentum, hundreds of arrests were made as police tried to thwart their efforts, and the government mobilized to introduce legislations that would ultimately punish those participating.

US police continues to beat up University students across America.🇺🇸

Is it clear who the terrorist is? pic.twitter.com/0MTUqeZBsW
— Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis (@DrLoupis) April 26, 2024

Israeli lobbyists and the Israeli government are relentlessly pressuring US government officials to take more action against such movements in an effort to silence the criticism targeted toward “Israel” and demands to divest from the occupation.

Democratic US Congressman Ritchie Torres announced on Friday that he will introduce legislation to establish so-called anti-Semitism monitors for federally financed institutions in the United States, amid growing pro-Palestine demonstrations on campuses around the country.

However, pro-Palestinian voices have not been silenced despite all attempts to muffle their calls. In this context, it is worth mentioning the significant and prominent steps some student movements and university organizations have recently taken to divert from “Israel” and its web of affiliations.

City University of New York CUNY

In 2021, CUNY’s Law School’s student council voted for instating a resolution supporting the BDS movement and urged the university to divert from its inks with “Israel”.

Its efforts were clearly dismissed when the college’s chancellor issued a statement saying the student council’s action represents their personal belief, and does not represent the university itself.

“CUNY does not support and to be clear cannot participate in BDS activities, and is required to divest public funds from any companies that do,” he added.

Binghamton

A similar resolution was voted for in Binghamton University, with its Student Association (SA) Congress voting in favor of the BDS in April 2024.

The SA issued a statement declaring opposition to institutions that fund or arm “Israel”, such as BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin, saying they refused to indirectly fund “an industry that manufactures weapons of war and mass destruction” through allocated portions of their tuition.

In response, a university spokesperson said the student body speaks for itself, not the university administration, and condemned any resolution in support of BDS.

“During this time, maintaining a safe and secure environment for everyone on campus remains the University’s top priority. A dedication to safety will remain unwavering as it strives to uphold the freedom for students and faculty to pursue their educational and professional endeavors without fear or obstacles.”

New York University Department of Social and Cultural Analysis

In 2021, the department of Social and Cultural Analysis at NYU voted in favor of severing ties with the university’s Tel Aviv campus through a resolution for non-cooperation.

The resolution passed, de-sponsoring Tel Aviv’s faculty and cutting inter-campus faculty exchanges.

“With respect to this departmental vote: it’s a little puzzling as to what form it would take, as our Tel Aviv campus does not draw on the department of social and cultural analysis for its academic program,” NYU spokesperson John Beckman said on the resolution.

Case Western Reserve University

In 2022, the Undergraduate Student Government at Case Western Reserve University passed a resolution urging the university to examine its investments in Israeli companies.

According to the Case Western Reserve Observer, the resolution advocated for divestment from companies involved in “the construction, upkeep, or economic advancement of illegal Israeli settlements, outposts, and roads and transportation systems exclusively for settlers in occupied Palestinian territories.”

Nevertheless, University President Eric W. Kaler expressed disappointment with the resolution shortly after its passage, as per his statement.

“I pledge that Case Western Reserve will continue to be a place welcoming to all. Vigorous political debate is welcome and encouraged, but hate towards any group will be opposed at every step, including categorically rejecting the calls to action outlined in this resolution,” Kaler said.

University of California, Davis

In February 2024, the UC Davis student government (ASUCD) endorsed a BDS resolution, which restricts the allocation of the group’s budget to companies that endorse “Israel”.

As stated in an Instagram post by the group, “The bill passed prohibits the expenditure of any portion of the $20 million ASUCD budget on companies implicated in the occupation and genocide of Palestinians, as outlined by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. This means that none of the student fees funding ASUCD operations will go towards financially supporting over 30 companies complicit in Zionist violence, including McDonald’s, Sabra, and Chevron.”

A university spokesperson said the student body operates independently from the administration.

UCLA

In February 2024, the UCLA Undergraduate Students Association Council and Graduate Student Association both endorsed a BDS resolution, citing “Israel’s” involvement in “apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and genocide” against Palestinians, as per UCLA’s Daily Bruin.

Nonetheless, UCLA released a statement denouncing the resolutions, stating that they “conflict with the stance of the University of California and UCLA, which, along with all other UC campuses, have consistently rejected appeals for boycotting and divesting from Israel.”

Harvard

The Harvard Law School (HLS) Student Government has passed a resolution urging the university to completely divest from any organization that supports the Israeli war on Gaza.

The measure urges the Harvard Management Company (HMC), which manages the school’s $50 billion endowment, “to divest completely from weapons manufacturers, firms, academic programs, corporations, and all other institutions that aid the ongoing occupation of Palestine and the genocide of Palestinians.”

The HLS Student Government alludes to Harvard’s commitment of nearly $200 million in businesses linked to the Israeli occupation military and illegal settlements in Palestine, as well as HMC’s prior divestment from South African apartheid and the tobacco industry in 1990.

The resolution’s author, Swap Agrawal, expressed that some Palestinian students at the school have “lost dozens of family members in the ongoing genocide,” noting that students reported feeling strongly that it was “necessary to put pressure on things to change.”

Previously, Harvard Law declared “Israel” an “Apartheid State”.