The Years 1968 And 2024: Will History Repeat Itself?

BY MELVIN GOODMAN

 APRIL 26, 2024
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Photograph Source: S.Sgt. Albert R. Simpson, Department of Defense – Public Domain

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

– George Santayana, 1905.

In the summer of 1968, I was assigned to the Central Intelligence Agency’s task force on the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.  The task force met around the clock in the CIA operations center, which was outfitted with myriad television screens.  Most of these screens were showing the Soviet invasion.  But several screens were devoted to the violence and mayhem on the streets of Chicago, where Mayor Richard Daley’s police force was pummeling young people holding a protest rally against the Vietnam War.  The chaos and the violence, which a federal commission labeled a “police riot,” played a key role in Richard Nixon’s narrow defeat of Hubert Humphrey in the election several months later.

Once again, we are looking toward a Democratic Convention in Chicago in August as well as an election in November that will be close.  It could well be decided by the national reaction to the chaos that is taking place on college campuses around the country and that will presumably be followed by demonstrations in Chicago.  Does the Biden White House understand this?

In 1968, the Vietnam War was the decisive moral issue of the time.  In 2024, Israel’s genocidal warfare in Gaza is the decisive moral issue.  The likelihood of an ugly Israeli military campaign in southern Gaza will lead to additional Palestinian deaths and to increased fury at home and abroad.

Hubert Humphrey lost support in 1968 because he was terribly late in speaking out against the immoral war in Vietnam being pursued by President Lyndon B. Johnson.  Joe Biden is losing support on a daily basis because he is unwilling to stop underwriting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s immoral military campaign in Gaza.

In 1968, the Prague Spring and the Tet Offensive contributed to violent activism and protest activity in the United States.  The assassinations of two key anti-war leaders, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy in April and June, respectively, meant the absence of two key anti-war protagonists at the Democratic Convention.  When the peace plank was defeated at the convention, additional college students and an assortment of activists and progressives rallied against the U.S. role in Vietnam.  Prior to the convention, there were walk-outs at high schools around the country, which contributed to the anti-war fervor that was building before the convention.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley contributed to the tension by orchestrating a news blackout in an attempt to keep the public from learning about the protest activity in the city.  The Chicago police beat protestors at will with clubs and fists.  At the convention, Senator Abraham Ribicoff blasted Mayor Daley for what he called the “Gestapo” tactics of the Chicago police.  Daley called Ribicoff a “kike” from the floor of the convention. These events garnered more attention than the nominations of Humphrey and Senator Edmund Muskie.

Just as the violence and madness in 1968 pushed conservatives and independents to rally on behalf of Richard Nixon, the potential for violence in Chicago in August could hurt Biden’s chances for reelection in November.  Nixon won in 1968 by a narrow margin—less than one point—in a nation divided by the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement.  He prevailed in most states outside of the Northeast, and won the electoral vote easily.

Joe Biden is facing similarly beleaguered international and domestic situations.  The international situation is particularly ominous, as Biden tries to maneuver on behalf of Ukraine in Central Europe and Israel in the Middle East.  Ukraine is losing ground; Israel is losing credibility.  Biden is citing the “rule of law” to challenge Russia, but is ignoring the “rule of law” by underwriting Israel’s war in Gaza.  Two additional nations complicate Biden’s situation—Iran and North Korea—but the United States does not officially recognize either Tehran or Pyongyang.

The Republicans are doing their best to exploit this situation.  Aid to Ukraine was help up for several months by Republican demagogues and obscurantists, and Republican leaders are pandering to supporters of Israel.  This week, House Speaker Mike Johnson traveled to Columbia University to encourage the dismantling of pro-Palestinian encampments and the resignation of President Minouche Shafik.

Shafik has been targeted by Republican members of the House of Representatives who are pummeling college presidents (particularly female presidents) at so-called elite universities. The resignations of the presidents at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University have already taken place.  Johnson’s demagoguery could result in the resignation of Shafik as key Republicans in the House pursue their “anti-woke” agenda, which is in fact part of a right-wing campaign against the diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at key institutions.

George Santayana argued in “The Life of Reason” that if our world is ever going to make progress, it needs to remember what it’s learned from the past.  Sadly, President Biden has learned little about both the deceit of Benjamin Netanyahu and the danger of supporting an immoral war.

Melvin A. Goodman is a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and a professor of government at Johns Hopkins University.  A former CIA analyst, Goodman is the author of Failure of Intelligence: The Decline and Fall of the CIA and National Insecurity: The Cost of American Militarism. and A Whistleblower at the CIA. His most recent books are “American Carnage: The Wars of Donald Trump” (Opus Publishing, 2019) and “Containing the National Security State” (Opus Publishing, 2021). Goodman is the national security columnist for counterpunch.org.

From screens to streets: How Gen Z is disrupting the status quo and redefining activism

It's safe to say that the kids are doing just fine. It is the adults running the world that are the problem.

Uzair M. Younus 

Published April 26, 2024 

Soft. Entitled. Snowflakes. Lazy. These are some of the characterisations about Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) pushed in the media by older generations who have largely failed to connect with and understand what they are all about. But these disparaging words used to describe the generation are, in fact, baseless — these young individuals are anything but passive.

To put it simply, this generation isn’t waiting for change; they’re demanding it. Over the past six months alone, they’ve orchestrated movements that have sent shockwaves through the status quo, leaving elites squirming in discomfort. It’s time to recognise their power, their passion, and their potential to reshape our world that has been long ruined by decades of complacency.

Pro-Palestinian students take part in a protest in support of the Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, at Columbia University in New York City, U.S., October 12, 2023 — Reuters


‘Youthquake’ in America

We are seeing this play out at university campuses across America, where administrators resort to police intervention to suppress anti-war protests and encampments, only to witness a resounding backlash that reverberates far beyond their expectations.

Tensions began to simmer on American university campuses soon after the terror attacks carried out by Hamas on October 7. As Israel continues to unleash an orgy of violence on Palestinians — the International Court of Justice has found it “plausible” that Israel is in violation of the Genocide Convention — the atmosphere on campuses has grown increasingly charged. Student groups have been suspended, walkouts have become increasingly common, and university towns have become the epicentre of the uncommitted campaign during the Democratic primary elections.


A coalition of University of Michigan students rally at an encampment in the Diag to pressure the university to divest its endowment from companies that support Israel or could profit from the ongoing conflict on the University of Michigan college campus in Ann Arbor — Reuters



Contrary to what the mainstream media would have you believe, the seething discontent isn’t confined to elite or progressive universities like Columbia and Berkeley. The numbers speak for themselves: one-third of adults under 30 say that their “sympathies lie either entirely or mostly with the Palestinian people (compared to 10 per cent or less for adults over 50), while 36pc of them believe that President Biden is “favouring Israelis too much” (compared to the 16pc or less for adults over 50). This has become a headache for Joe Biden, as he relies on the support of younger Americans to secure victory in the upcoming election in November.

Demonstrators protest inside the Rockefeller Center asking for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, as President Joe Biden attends an interview in midtown Manhattan, in New York, February 26 — Reuters


Digital natives, global activists

The ongoing conflict is yet another testament to Generation Z’s profound empathy and commitment to equity, inclusion, and human rights. According to an Edelman survey spanning six countries, a staggering 70pc of Gen Z actively engages in social or political causes. What sets this generation apart is their digital fluency, enabling them to harness digital platforms, including decentralised media, to mobilise, educate, and advocate for change.

Moreover, data shows that this generation watches the least amount of television, and prefers consuming content on platforms like TikTok (10.5 hours a week) and YouTube (6.9 hours a week). In fact, the fast-tracked nature of legislation seeking a TikTok ban in America is very much related to the fallout of the war in Gaza, and has unsurprisingly angered young Americans.

Students build a protest encampment in support of Palestinians, at the University of Southern California’s Alumni Park, amid the ongoing conflict, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 24, 2024 — Reuters


Engage in conversation with older generations, and you’ll often hear the refrain: “Younger generations are out of touch, indifferent, and perpetually glued to their screens.” Yet, this worry overlooks a crucial truth.

As digital natives, today’s youth possess an unparalleled ability to navigate the labyrinth of misinformation, actively seek out diverse perspectives, and circumvent traditional gatekeepers, particularly within the media landscape. Their digital prowess not only connects them to the pulse of reality but empowers them to shape it with unprecedented clarity and purpose.

Most importantly, Gen Z is demonstrating an unwavering commitment to a host of global challenges, spanning from climate change and gender diversity to the plight of Palestine. It speaks of their values and sense of responsibility — something their parents and mentors should not only acknowledge but also take immense pride in.

Greek university and high school students take part in a demonstration against a planned bill which opens the way for the operation of private universities, in Athens, Greece, January 11, 2024 — Reuters


Unleashing the next generation


Demonstrators and students hit a wall as they shout slogans during a protest against the Chilean public education system and the results of the referendum on a new constitution, in Santiago, Chile September 6, 2022 — Reuters

From Malala Yousafzai to Greta Thunberg — the emerging cohort of leaders, particularly women — is mobilising millions worldwide. For adults, especially those clinging onto institutions and power, this rising generation represents a threat. This is not only because of the fact that these leaders and organisers are speaking truth to power, but because they are seeking to dismantle the status quo in a bid to build something better and more inclusive.

Moreover, the discomfort among established elites stems from their utter cluelessness in navigating the digital landscape wielded by younger generations. This new breed of leaders is not only adept at harnessing digital tools but also possesses a deep understanding of how to use them effectively, leaving the status quo scrambling to keep pace.

Demonstrators take part in an “Emergency Rally: Stand with Palestinians Under Siege in Gaza,” amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., October 14, 2023 — Reuters

The unfolding events across American universities serve as a stark reminder: nothing rattles status quo elites more than the sight of peaceful protestors courageously raising their voices. This has been consistently true across centuries. Yet, amid the turbulence, organisation and activism displayed by these students is inspiring next generation of leaders around the world.

It’s safe to say that the kids are doing just fine. It is the adults running the world that are the problem.

The writer is the director of the Pakistan Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center and host of the podcast Pakistonomy.

Gaza solidarity camp set up outside Scottish Parliament

Activists said they will stay until their demands – which include a permanent ceasefire – are met.

Gaza solidarity camp set up outside Scottish Parliament

Activists have set up a camp on land near the Scottish Parliament in solidarity with people in Gaza as they accused the UK and Scottish governments of “complicity” in the “ongoing genocide”.

They declared the camp, set up in Edinburgh on Friday, “a liberated zone” and have raised Palestinian flags around the tents.

The group, named Gaza Solidarity Camp Scotland, has issued a series of demands, including a permanent ceasefire, an arms embargo and recognition of Palestine, and has pledged not to leave until these are met.

In a statement, the group said: “We are here in protest against Scottish and UK government complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. We will stay here until our demands are met.”

The campaigners said they have used “every avenue available to us in Scotland”, including demonstrating on the streets, writing to MPs and MSPs and signing petitions.

They said: “Yet, the genocide continues, and every day we see the new worst thing we’ve ever seen.

“We receive condolences and empty outrage/condemnations from people in positions of power, and yet the sale of weapons and arms that enable this genocide continue.

“We are here because we’ve had enough. We will not be complicit in genocide.

“We are here with demands. We are here in solidarity with Gaza, and we will continue the fight for a free Palestine.”
The group has urged the Scottish Government to apply pressure on the UK Government to enact an embargo on all Israeli arm sales and call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

The Scottish and UK governments have been asked for comment.

Paris university students in sit-in as US Palestine protests spread across Europe

French police break up tent 'occupation' but demonstrators are inspired to take to the streets from Brussels to Lisbon

Students in tents occupied part of Sciences Po Paris as they demand university bosses condemn Israel's actions in Gaza. Getty Images

Tim Stickings
Sunniva Rose
Lemma Shehadi
Apr 25, 2024

French police have broken up a sit-in by pro-Palestinian students in Paris, in a sign of US campus protests spreading to Europe, but demonstrators vowed to continue occupying university buildings as they demand bosses condemn and cut ties with Israel.

The prestigious Sciences Po university – whose alumni include French President Emmanuel Macron – is the scene of intensifying expressions of pro-Palestinian sentiment, students told The National.

"Students were inspired by what's happening in several American campuses, whether it's Columbia or Harvard," said one, who requested to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the topic.

READ MORE
Palestinian surgeon demands answers over ban from German anti-Israel rally

Riot police said on Wednesday evening they had evacuated about 60 students "occupying" Saint Thomas campus in the heart of the upmarket neighbourhood of Saint Germain des Pres.

Encampments are a form of US-style campus protest. They are less common in French universities, where student typically physically occupy buildings to signify protest.

Protests in US universities have recently spread from the East to the West Coast, leading to a number of arrests in Texas on Wednesday.

The topic has become highly political as Republicans have accused students of anti-Semitism, a charge echoed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.


While the White House has said it backs free speech on campus, senior Republican Mike Johnson has urged President Joe Biden to turn to National Guard troops.

In Paris, a slightly larger group of students returned to a separate Sciences Po campus on Thursday to occupy a main hallway, the student said, where they were joined by faculty staff.

"We are planning to stay," they said. "Students feel very supported by the community despite the context in France being hostile to pro-Palestine voices."

The student highlighted that a number of far-left French political figures who are critical of Israel have recently been called in for questioning by the police, accused of "apology of terrorism".

The far left was widely criticised for not explicitly condemning the Hamas-led October 7 attacks against Israel.

French police also banned a number of pro-Palestine protests that took place later in the year as Israel's military response in Gaza caused an unprecedented number of deaths in Gaza.

Student activists said they were "standing on the right side of history" over the Israel-Gaza war by "occupying the school until our demands are met".

The Sciences Po protest was viewed as "contributing to a strong climate of tension for students, teachers and employees", said a police statement to AFP.

Controversy erupted at the university last month after pro-Palestinian protesters were accused of barring entry to a Jewish student.

After students allegedly called "don't let her in, she's a Zionist", Mr Macron waded into the row to condemn those comments as "unspeakable and intolerable".

Senior government figures including French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal visited the university to "underline the seriousness" of what happened.

A student encampment at New York's Columbia University has sparked copycat protests on other campuses. AP

University chiefs said at the time they were taking legal action over anti-Semitic acts and regretted the "embedding of an unacceptable poisonous climate" on campus.

Officials in Europe and the US have grappled for months with how to balance free speech against public safety at Gaza protests.
Brussels awakes

In Brussels, where EU institutions are based, a small number of civil servants have been publicly calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Many say their expertise is ignored by political leadership and they fear becoming complicit in what the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands has described as a possible genocide in the making.

While the US has the most direct influence on Israel as its number-one weapons' provider, a minority of European leaders want to review a trade agreement with Israel due to concerns of human rights violations.

Protests spread in the US, such as here at the University of Texas in Austin, and all the way to Europe. AFP

An EU civil servant, who took part in a 15-minute silent protest outside the European Commission building in Brussels on Thursday, told The National they welcomed protests on European campuses.

"The fact that our future leaders are aware of the ongoing double standards and the importance of applying ethics in the civil service is amazing," said the civil servant, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.

Police in Germany this month cut the power from a planned three-day Palestine Congress in Berlin after a banned speaker, an alleged Hamas sympathiser, dialled in virtually.
Lisbon takes heart

Students Carolina Gonsalves and Marianna show solidarity for Palestine at the 50th Carnation Revolution Demonstrations in Lisbon

At the demonstrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, a Palestine bloc had formed at the centre of the march, with Palestinian flags peppered across the Marques de Pombal square.

Many demonstrators believe the spirit of the revolution that overthrew the longest-standing fascist dictatorship in Europe lived on in the Palestinian cause.

“We are here to fight for our Portuguese liberty, but also, we think that if Palestine is not free, no one in the world will be free,” said demonstrator Carolina Gonsalves, an international relations student at the Nova University.

Regarding the US campus movement for Gaza, she hoped a similar one would form in Portugal. “I think we can get there if we keep doing what we’re doing right now, and more,” she said.

“We are all connected and fighting for Palestine, we are one of the universities that fights the most for Palestine."

A student movement in Portugal was likely to have a “different look”, according to Catarina Rosario, a student in Lisbon.

“It’s not as much a struggle against the institutions, because they’re not directly supporting Israel as they are in the US or in the UK. So it’s much more about support than fighting our universities,” she said.

Among the protest events previously organised at her university was a large soup kitchen to feed people. “We occupied the entrance to the university and used that space to help the community,” she said.

Some feared the surge of the far right in Portuguese elections last month would tilt the country away from the Palestinian issue.

“I really love the message of our revolution, but I think it wasn’t complete. We could have done more. It’s really disheartening to see a country that fought against fascism, bring back fascism,” said Matilda, a veterinary student in Lisbon, who came to the protest carrying a Palestinian flag.

She expressed frustration over Portugal’s silence on the Israel-Gaza war.

“It’s really worrying to me, because our country hasn’t done a lot during this war, like cut ties with Israel. I’m really worried they’re going to do even less now,” she said.

“I would love to see that, I would love to be part of it."

She hoped to see more activity on campuses around the Palestinian issue.

“I think students need to organise and get together because there are a lot of students in Palestine, [whose] universities are destroyed. I think that should touch us in some way, but that’s not reaching as many people as I hoped,” she said.

Portugal’s revolution was triggered by the frustration with the country’s colonial wars and the spillover of South Africa’s apartheid into Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony.

People gather to mark the 50th anniversary of Portugal's Carnation Revolution in Lisbon. Reuters

“We owe our freedom to liberation movements in South Africa,” said George Kadima, a former anti-apartheid campaigner who is now one of the organisers of the Palestinian bloc at the demonstration.

“As Nelson Mandela said, our freedom is not complete without the freedom of the Palestinian people.

“We thought that on this day, which is such a historic day for Portugal, the voice of Palestine had to be present, because Palestine is suffering tremendously."
Updated: April 26, 2024, 12:53 AM

Turkish universities support Gaza protests on US campuses

Several universities issue joint statement criticizing 'disproportionate' response to demonstrations

26/04/2024 Friday
AA



Major Turkish universities expressed their support on Thursday for the ongoing pro-Palestinian protests sweeping college campuses across the US.

"Over the past six months, university students peacefully protesting the brutality against Gaza's innocent people have been subjected to violence,” they said in a joint statement published on their social media accounts.

"We are profoundly saddened and vehemently condemn the disproportionate response to the peaceful demonstrations by university students. We regard it as a violation of academic freedom and fundamental human rights," they added.

The statement was shared on the social media accounts of leading Turkish universities, including Afyonkarahisar University of Health Sciences, Anadolu University, Ankara University, Bursa Uludag University, Dokuz Eylul University, Istanbul Technical University and Middle East Technical University.

The protests in the US started a few days ago at Columbia University and spread to other colleges.

Student-led protests demanding that universities condemn Israel's genocidal war on Gaza and divest from Israeli firms have continued to spread, with new encampments being erected in the face of law enforcement crackdowns.

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik's decision last week to ask the New York Police Department to arrest dozens of protesters largely served as a flashpoint for the wider protest movement.

Protests have since been reported on several campuses, including California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, Yale, the University of Minnesota, Swarthmore College and the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, the University of Rochester in New York, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, Emerson College in Massachusetts, and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Pro-Palestinian activists begin encampment at University of Pennsylvania

Protestors march through Center City neighborhood of Philadelphia before setting up encampment at Penn City Hall

Diyar Guldogan |26.04.2024 -


WASHINGTON

Pro-Palestinian activists launched a protest Thursday at the University of Pennsylvania against Israel's ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

They marched through the Center City neighborhood of Philadelphia before setting up an encampment at Penn City Hall, according to media reports.

There have been no reports of arrests so far.

Protests against Israel's onslaught against Gaza have spread across the US after more than 100 people were arrested last week at Columbia University in New York when police tried to clear an encampment.

House Speaker Mike Johnson faced boos and loud chants Wednesday from students as he delivered a speech during his visit to the school, where he called on the university’s president, Minouche Shafik, to resign.

Israel has waged a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, which Tel Aviv said killed around 1,200 people.

More than 34,300 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 77,300 injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

As some universities negotiate with pro-Palestinian protesters, others quickly call the police

Georgia State Patrol officers detain a protester on the campus of Emory University during an pro-Palestinian demonstration Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

The Los Angeles Police Department said more than 90 people were arrested Wednesday during a day of Gaza War protests at the University of Southern California.

BY STEVE LEBLANC AND NICK PERRY

April 25, 2024

The students at an encampment at Columbia University who inspired a wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the country dug in for their 10th day Friday, as administrators and police at college campuses from California to Connecticut wrestle with how to address protests that have seen scuffles with police and hundreds of arrests.

Officials at Columbia and some other schools have been negotiating with student protesters who have rebuffed police and doubled down. Other schools have quickly turned to law enforcement to douse demonstrations before they can take hold.

Georgia State Patrol officers detain a protester on the campus of Emory University during an pro-Palestinian demonstration Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Georgia State Patrol officers detain a protester on the campus of Emory University during an pro-Palestinian demonstration Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

After a tent encampment popped up Thursday at Indiana University Bloomington, police with shields and batons shoved into protesters and arrested 33. Hours later at the University of Connecticut, police tore down tents and arrested one person. And at Ohio State University, police clashed with protesters just hours after they gathered Thursday evening. Those who refused to leave after warnings were arrested and charged with criminal trespass, said university spokesperson Benjamin Johnson, citing rules barring overnight events.

The clock is ticking as May commencement ceremonies near, putting added pressure on schools to clear demonstrations. At Columbia, protesters defiantly erected a tent encampment where many are set to graduate in front of families in just a few weeks.

Hamas again raises the possibility of a 2-state compromise. Israel and its allies aren’t convinced

Antiwar protesters’ calls for divestment at universities put spotlight on how endowments are managed

Columbia officials said that negotiations were showing progress as they neared the school’s deadline of early Friday to reach an agreement on dismantling the encampment. Nevertheless, two police buses were parked nearby and there was a noticeable presence of private security and police at entrances to the campus.

“We have our demands; they have theirs,” said Ben Chang, a spokesperson for Columbia University, adding that if the talks fail the university will have to consider other options.

Just past midnight, a group of some three dozen pro-Palestinian protesters handed out signs and started chanting outside of the locked Columbia University gates. They then marched away as at least 40 police officers assembled nearby.

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, has been negotiating with students who have been barricaded inside a campus building since Monday, rebuffing an attempt by the police to clear them out. Faculty members met with protesters Thursday to try to negotiate a solution as the campus remains shut down at least through the weekend.

Demonstrators chant at a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Texas, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

Demonstrators chant at a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Texas, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

The protesters setting up encampments at universities across the country are demanding schools cut financial ties to Israel and divest from companies they say are enabling the conflict. Some Jewish students say the protests have veered into antisemitism and made them afraid to set foot on campus, which has partly prompted the calls for police intervention.

A dean at Cal Poly Humboldt, Jeff Crane, suggested during the meeting with protesters that the university form a committee that would include students to do a deep dive into the school’s investments. Crane also suggested faculty and students continue meeting every 24 hours to keep an open line of communication. The sides have yet to announce an agreement.

The school’s senate of faculty and staff demanded the university’s president resign in a vote of no confidence Thursday, citing the decision to call police in to remove the barricaded students Monday.

On the other end of the state, the University of Southern California announced the cancellation of the school’s May 10 graduation ceremony. The announcement was made a day after more than 90 protesters were arrested on campus. The university said it will still host dozens of commencement events, including all the traditional individual school commencement ceremonies.

Tensions were already high after USC canceled a planned commencement speech by the school’s pro-Palestinian valedictorian, citing safety concerns.

At the City College of New York on Thursday, hundreds of students who were gathered on the lawn beneath the Harlem campus’ famed gothic buildings erupted in cheers after a small contingent of police officers retreated from the scene. In one corner of the quad, a “security training” was held among students.

The Los Angeles Police Department said 93 people were arrested Wednesday night during a campus protest for allegedly trespassing. One person was arrested on allegations of assault with a deadly weapon.

At Emerson College in Boston, 108 people were arrested at an alleyway encampment by early Thursday. Video shows police first warning students in an alleyway to leave. Students link arms to resist officers, who move forcefully through the crowd and throw some protesters to the ground.

Muir said police lifted her by her arms and legs and carried her away. Along with other students, Muir was charged Thursday with trespassing and disorderly conduct.

Emerson College leaders had warned students that the alley was a public right-of-way and city authorities had threatened to take action if the protesters didn’t leave. Emerson canceled classes Thursday, and Boston police said four officers suffered injuries that were not life-threatening during the confrontation.

The University of Texas at Austin campus was much calmer Thursday after 57 people were jailed and charged with criminal trespass a day earlier. University officials pulled back barricades and allowed demonstrators onto the main square beneath the school’s iconic clock tower.

Thursday’s gathering of students and some faculty protested both the war and Wednesday’s arrests, when state troopers in riot gear and on horseback bulldozed into protesters, forcing hundreds of students off the school’s main lawn.

At Emory University in Atlanta, local and state police swept in to dismantle a camp. Some officers carried semiautomatic weapons, and video shows officers using a stun gun on one protester they had pinned to the ground. The university said late Thursday in a statement that objects were thrown at officers and they deployed “chemical irritants” as a crowd control measure.

Jail records showed 22 people arrested by Emory police were charged with disorderly conduct. Emory said it had been notified that 28 people were arrested, including 20 members of the university community, and some had been released as of nighttime.

Since the Israel-Hamas war began, the U.S. Education Department has launched civil rights investigations into dozens of universities and schools in response to complaints of antisemitism or Islamophobia. Among those under investigation are many colleges facing protests, including Harvard and Columbia.

___

Perry reported from Meredith, New Hampshire. Contributing to this report were Associated Press journalists in various locations including Aaron Morrison, Stefanie Dazio, Kathy McCormack, Jim Vertuno, Acacia Coronado, Sudhin Thanawala, Jeff Amy, Mike Stewart, Collin Binkley, Carolyn Thompson, Jake Offenhartz and Sophia Tareen.

AMNESTY CALLS ON US UNIVERSITIES TO LIFT CRACKDOWN ON GAZA PROTESTS

26/04/2024 11:24 AM

ISTANBUL, April 25 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Amnesty International on Wednesday urged university administrations across the United States (US) to safeguard and facilitate the student's right to peacefully and safely protest or counter-protest on their campuses.  

In a report, the rights watchdog condemned the suppression of student protests against the war in Gaza, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

The executive director of Amnesty International USA, Paul O’Brien said universities have responded repressively to protests in support of Palestinian rights, involving local authorities and even demanding arrests.

"Any steps taken to silence, harass, threaten, or otherwise intimidate those who gather peacefully to protest and speak out is a violation of their rights,". 

"Academic freedom is central to the right to education. Campus activism is a crucial component of that freedom,” he said. 

O’Brien said that administrations are responsible for fostering an atmosphere that allows diverse viewpoints.

Amnesty said criticism of the Israeli government's actions is not inherently antisemitic, noting there have been reports of individuals at some protests using hateful rhetoric, including glorifying violence.

"We condemn hateful rhetoric and violence in the strongest possible terms," O’Brien stressed.

Amnesty called on US President Joe Biden to suspend all arms transfers to Israel and work for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.

Previously, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik authorised the New York Police Department to dismantle the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment," resulting in the arrest of 108 individuals. 

Multiple universities, including Yale and New York University, have taken similar actions.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU

Illegal Israeli settlers storm Joseph's tomb in northern occupied West Bank

Joseph's tomb in eastern Nablus city, revered by both Muslims and Jews, long served as flashpoint for clashes between Palestinians and illegal Israeli settlers

Qais Abu Samra |26.04.2024 - 


RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestinians on Friday clashed with illegal Israeli settlers who raided the Joseph's tomb in the northern occupied West Bank.

Local sources told Anadolu that illegal settlers were protected by the Israeli forces during their raid on the tomb site in eastern Nablus city.

Witnesses indicated that confrontations broke out between dozens of Palestinians and the Israeli army.

The Israeli army raided a number of eastern Nablus neighborhoods and searched homes before withdrawing, witnesses added.

Joseph's tomb, revered by both Muslims and Jews, has long served as a flashpoint for clashes between Palestinians and Israeli settlers.

Jews believe the site is the resting place of the biblical patriarch Joseph. Muslims, on the other hand, dispute this claim, saying Sheikh Yussef Dawiqat, an Islamic cleric, was buried there two centuries ago.

Since Monday, the first day of the weeklong Jewish Passover, hundreds of illegal settlers have stormed archaeological sites in the West Bank.

Passover, which commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt during the time of Prophet Moses, is considered one of the most important holidays on the Jewish religious calendar.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out a series of raids on Friday, targeting the governorates of Jenin, Qalqilya, Tulkarm, and towns in the governorates of Bethlehem and Hebron.

The Israeli army also carried out incursions into the Jalazone refugee camp in the north of Ramallah.

Witnesses indicated that the forces arrested at least three Palestinians from the camp including a woman.

Tensions have been high across the occupied West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip, which killed more than 34,300 people following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 485 Palestinians have since been killed and over 4,800 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank, according to the Health Ministry.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.



* Writing by Ikram Kouachi.

Baby saved from dead mother's womb in Gaza dies

By Fergal Keane,

BBC News, Jerusalem

Reuters

A baby rescued from her dying mother's womb after an Israeli air strike in southern Gaza has died, the BBC has learned.

Baby Sabreen al-Sakani was delivered by Caesarean section in a Rafah hospital shortly after midnight on Sunday.

Amid chaotic scenes doctors resuscitated the baby, using a hand pump to push air into her lungs.

However she died on Thursday and has been buried next to her mother after whom she was named.

Baby Sabreen was among 16 children killed in two air strikes in Rafah last weekend. All were killed in a bombardment targeting the housing complex where they lived.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they were targeting Hamas fighters and infrastructure.

Sabreen's mother was seven-and-a-half months pregnant when the Israeli air strike on the al-Sakani family home took place just before midnight on Saturday as she, her husband Shukri and their three-year-old daughter Malak were asleep.

Sabreen suffered extensive injuries and her husband and Malak were killed, but the baby was still alive in her mother's womb when rescue workers reached the site.

They rushed Sabreen to hospital, where doctors performed an emergency Caesarean section to deliver the child.

It appeared that Sabreen had stabilised and she was subsequently placed in an incubator. At the time doctors described her condition as critical.

Baby Sabreen's maternal grandmother, Mirvat al-Sakani, told the BBC the family had planned to adopt the child.

Gaza officials suspect organ theft from some bodies found in mass graves at Naser Hospital

Some bodies were discovered with tied hands, open abdomens, says a Civil Defense Agency director

 26/04/2024 Friday
AA



The condition of some of the bodies of civilians found in mass graves at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip raises suspicions of organ theft by Israeli forces, an official said Thursday.

''Some bodies were found with tied hands, opened abdomens and stitched in a manner inconsistent with the usual methods of wound suturing in Gaza, raising suspicions of the disappearance of some organs," Mohammed Al-Mughayer, the director of the supply and equipment department at the Gaza Civil Defense Agency, told a press conference.

"The bodies of a man and a mutilated young girl missing limbs were also found wearing hospital gowns, raising suspicions of their being buried alive," he added.


Al-Mughayer also noted that "the hands of some bodies were found bound with plastic restraints and corpses were wearing white robes used by the Israeli army as clothes for detainees in Nasser Hospital, with marks of gunshot wounds to the head, raising suspicions of their execution and field liquidation."

''We also found many bodies wrapped in black and blue shrouds made of plastic and nylon, which are different than the color of shrouds used in Gaza, raising suspicions that the occupation's goal was to raise the temperature of the bodies to accelerate their decomposition and conceal evidence,'' he said.

He considered that all the previous evidence "indicates that the occupation (the Israeli army) committed crimes against humanity and carried out field executions on the premises of Nasser Hospital.''

''We demand the swift opening of an international investigation into this matter," he added.

The Israeli army withdrew from Khan Younis on April 7 after a four-month-long ground operation in the Nasser Medical Complex.

Israel has waged a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

More than 34,300 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 77,300 others injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Officials call for international investigation into what they say are crimes by Israel in Gaza

US State Department's Arabic spokeswoman resigns over Gaza policy

Hala Rharrit also served as the Dubai Regional Media Hub’s deputy director


Hala Rharrit called for 'diplomacy, not arms'. US Department of State


The National
Apr 25, 2024

The US State Department's Arabic-language spokeswoman has resigned over Washington's Gaza policy.

Hala Rharrit's resignation took effect on Wednesday, according to her State Department biography page.

She also served as the Dubai Regional Media Hub’s deputy director.

“I resigned April 2024 after 18 years of distinguished service in opposition to the United States’ Gaza policy. Diplomacy, not arms. Be a force for peace and unity,” the bio portion of a LinkedIn page believed to belong to Ms Rharrit said.

She first joined the Foreign Service in 2006. Her tours have included Yemen, Hong Kong, Qatar and South Africa.

In a previous interview with Al Arabiya News, which first reported her resignation, Ms Rharrit had warned about the generational cycle of violence and advocated for a return to diplomacy, not more arms transfers.

The National has reached out to Ms Rharrit for comment.

The State Department has not yet confirmed the resignation.

“There are channels … through which our workforce can share their points of view when they disagree with a certain policy or a certain action that the US government is taking,” Vedant Patel, deputy State Department spokesman, told reporters on Thursday after being asked about Ms Rharrit's reported resignation.

He added that dissenting opinions “help lead to stronger, more robust policymaking".

“Ultimately, anybody's decision on whether they want to continue to repeat, remain employed somewhere or not, that is ultimately a decision for them to make.”

READ MORE

US names new special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues

Israeli politicians condemn pro-Palestine protests in US

Ms Rharrit is the latest State Department employee to resign over President Joe Biden's policy on Gaza, where more than 34,300 people have been killed amid the Israeli siege, according to local health authorities.

Late last month, staffer Annelle Sheline resigned publicly over the administration's policy, telling The National she felt unable to perform her job in the human rights department.

Josh Paul, another staffer who resigned last year over Gaza, told The National in March that while the resignations put pressure on the administration, “it will still take an awful lot to actually shift” its actions.

There has been growing domestic discontent over Washington's continued support of Israel, which includes a bill that was signed into law this week allocating $26 billion in aid to Israel.

Canadian lawmaker banned from provincial legislature for wearing keffiyeh

‘Today is a shameful day in Ontario’s history,’ says Muslim organization

Barry Ellsworth |26.04.2024 - AA


TRENTON, Canada

A Canadian lawmaker in the province of Ontario was banned Thursday from the legislative assembly for wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional symbol of solidarity with Palestine among activists.

Sarah Jama, a NDP member of the provincial parliament (MPP), was told to leave the chamber by Speaker of the House Ted Arnott.

She refused to go and was named (sanctioned) by Arnott, who runs the legislature. He banned the white-and-black scarf a week ago because in his view, it made an “overt” political statement.

“As a result of being named, the member (Jama), for the remainder of the day, is ineligible to vote on matters before the assembly, attend and participate in any committee proceedings, use the media studio and table notices of motion, written questions and petitions,” Arnott said, CTV News reported.

Jama stayed for the proceedings and Arnott was asked why he allowed her to remain.

He replied that the only way to remove Jama was by physical force, and “I wasn’t prepared to do that,” he told reporters.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), the largest Muslim organization in Canada, condemned the speaker’s action against Jama.

“This is a shameful day in Ontario’s history,” the NCCM said on X. “This is anti-Palestinian racism. The keffiyeh is a symbol of Palestinian cultural identity. The ban must be lifted by Speaker Ted Arnott.”

New Democratic Party Leader Marit Stiles was also critical of the action against Jama, calling it “outrageous” and adding that she was “appalled.”

In fact, the leaders of all four political parties, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, asked that the ban on the scarf be removed.

Twice MPPs voted on the removal of the ban in the course of a few days, and both times, the motion did not gain unanimous support, so the ban remained in place. Some of the dissenters were from Ford’s own Conservative Party.​​​​​​​

Jama vowed to wear the keffiyeh again in the legislative assembly when MPPs return from a 10-day break, CTV News reported.

 

How Many Israelis Killed by ‘Friendly Fire’?

The IDF appears to have fired on hostages on several occasions throughout the Gaza war

by Will Porter Posted onApril 26, 2024

An elderly Israeli woman abducted by Hamas during the group’s October 7 attack was likely gunned down by an IDF aircraft, an internal military probe has found. To date, Tel Aviv has offered few details about other captives who may have been killed by friendly fire.

The 67-year-old grandmother, Efrat Katz, was taken hostage from the Nir Oz Kibbutz during Hamas’ surprise assault on Israel last year. Footage of her kidnapping showed the woman squeezed into the bed of a truck alongside her daughter and two grandchildren, a harrowing clip that would mark some of Katz’s final moments.The results of an internal Israeli military probe were published on April 5, acknowledging the IDF not only “failed to protect civilians” at the kibbutz, but had inadvertently contributed to the carnage.

“It appears that during the battles and the airstrikes, one of the combat helicopters that took part in the fighting fired at a vehicle that had terrorists in it, and, in retrospect, according to the evidence, it turned out that there were also hostages in it,” the investigation found. “As a result of the shooting, most of the terrorists manning the vehicles were killed, and apparently the late Efrat Katz.”

However, the probe concluded that because the hostages “could not be distinguished” from Palestinian fighters during the IDF counterattack, the helicopter crew was not at fault for Katz’s death. For the airmen, “the shooting was defined as shooting at a vehicle with terrorists,” the report continued.

According to Al Jazeera, Katz’s daughter and two grandchildren survived the attack, and were later freed following a prisoner exchange agreed with Hamas in November. The Palestinian armed group kidnapped more than 200 people on October 7 – among them Israeli soldiers and civilians in addition to foreign nationals – with around half of them released as part of last year’s deal.

Collateral Damage

Katz’s untimely death is merely one among many reported ‘friendly fire’ casualties inflicted by Israeli forces on and since October 7.

While the IDF has acknowledged 41 deaths among its own troops resulting from “operational accidents” throughout the war, it offers no official figures for hostages killed under similar circumstances.

In one rare exception, the military publicized the shooting of three Israeli hostages during an IDF ground raid in Gaza City last December – with one of the men killed as he waved a white flag and pleaded for help in Hebrew. None of the troops involved faced repercussions after the incident, which was deemed a simple mistake amid the fog of war.

To date, Tel Aviv has confirmed that 33 of the remaining 136 captives in Gaza have been killed, though officials have declined to specify their cause of death. The spokesperson for Hamas’s armed al-Qassam wing, Abu Obeida, placed that figure much higher, claiming at least 70 hostages had been killed as a result of Israeli operations as of March 1.

Survivors of Hamas’ October onslaught have also described brazen friendly-fire attacks by Israeli tank crews, with Kibbutz Be’eri resident Yasmin Porat telling local media that some hostages were “undoubtedly” shot by their own people.

“They eliminated everyone, including the hostages,” Porat said in an interview with Israeli broadcaster Kan, adding that “After insane crossfire, two tank shells were shot into the house… at that moment everyone was killed.”

An October 20 report in the Hebrew edition of Haaretz also detailed the lethal response at Be’eri, citing a member of the community’s security team, Tovel Escapa, who recounted indiscriminate firing on homes.

“Only after the commanders in the field made difficult decisions – including shelling houses on their occupants in order to eliminate the terrorists along with the hostages – did the IDF complete the takeover of the kibbutz,” the paper reported. “The price was terrible: at least 112 Be’eri people were killed.” The outlet did not clarify whether those deaths were inflicted by Israeli forces alone.

Underscoring the confusion during Israel’s response on October 7, other local media reports noted that IDF helicopters likely fired on civilians at the infamous Nova music festival – where more than 350 people lost their lives, most at the hands of Hamas. Israeli pilots later described “tremendous difficulty” in distinguishing fighters from noncombatants amid the chaos, while some gunship operators reportedly launched barrages against unidentified targets “without authorization from superiors.”

“[One] soldier told me, ‘Fire over there. The terrorists are there.’ I asked him, ‘Are there any civilians there?’ His response was, ‘I don’t know, just fire,’” one serviceman told Israel’s Channel 12, referring to an operation near the Holit kibbutz.

Hannibal Returns?

Officially, as of 2016 Israel’s military says it no longer employs the controversial ‘Hannibal Directive’ – a policy instructing soldiers to sacrifice their own comrades to prevent capture by enemy forces. However, some IDF troops have indicated the measure may still be in place to this day.

Asked about the policy by name during a recent media interview, IDF field commander Bar Zonshein said he ordered a strike on his own men after they had been captured by Hamas fighters on October 7 – even describing a formal procedure to invoke the supposedly-defunct directive.

Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper similarly reported that troops had been ordered to strike invading Hamas militants “at all costs” – even if that meant endangering hostages – while Israeli Col. Nof Erez described the October 7 response as a “mass Hannibal” operation.

Inspired by the capture of IDF troops during Israel’s occupation of Lebanon in the 1980s, the policy was seemingly designed to avoid complex and embarrassing prisoner swap deals with the likes of Hezbollah and Hamas, which frequently entail Israeli concessions. The protocol has been deployed repeatedly in subsequent conflicts, with the IDF adopting a highly permissive stance toward civilian casualties while carrying out the directive.

Though Palestinian noncombatants have borne the brunt of that policy since its inception decades ago, a number of Israeli observers have questioned whether Hannibal was invoked against their fellow citizens on October 7.

“We must determine exactly what happened that day. Was there a decision to eliminate the terrorists even if there was a significant risk that the hostages would also be killed? Was the Hannibal Directive applied to civilians?” asked Haaretz reporter Noa Limone.

Omri Shafroni, a resident of Be’eri and a relative of one of the victims killed in Hamas’ attack, has demanded an official investigation into Israel’s response, noting the circumstances of many civilian deaths remain unexplained.

“I do not rule out the possibility that [my relative] and others were killed by IDF fire. It could be that they died from the terrorists’ fire, or it could be that they died from the IDF’s fire, because there was a very heavy firefight,” he said last November, voicing frustration over the lack of any probe.

“It is very strange to me that until now we have not conducted an operational investigation into an event in which 13 hostages were apparently murdered and no negotiations were carried out,” Shafroni added.

Will Porter is assistant news editor at the Libertarian Institute and a regular contributor at Antiwar.com. Find more of his work at Consortium News and ZeroHedge.