University students rising up against ties with Israel (title edited by MNHQ at request of OP)

[EasterIssland]

Many university students are raising up against the ties their universities have with Israel. Students are asking for this agreements to stop
I can see this is happening in USA which has been in the news quite a lot but I can also read news about Paris as well as UK.

I really doubt much will change but I’m glad people are against these agreements. We can’t change what Israel / Hamas do. But we should be able to change what our governments / universities do.

And obviously- lots of people will scream at me that I must therefore support genocide.
I don’t support the Israeli government treatment of civilians in Gaza. Obviously.
But the idea that American students will save the world 🙄

I don't think they want to save the world. They're objecting at their student fees supporting a genocidal regime.

ok

Yes - ok.

The aren't saying they are trying to save the world. They are trying to get their colleges to divest from Israel.

Yes of course. There is no peer pressure and no performative virtue signaling. It’s all ok

Uk

https://www.yorkvision.co.uk/news/the-university-of-york-cuts-ties-with-arms-investors/01/05/2024

Is it that hard for you to believe that other people have strong beliefs and take action based on those beliefs? It's a genocide, it's no small thing. If I was connected to, and paying money to, an institute that did business with a genocidal regime I'd be protesting too. It's not a radical position.

Another British uni that has agreed to look at where they’re spending students money

https://www.gold.ac.uk/about/responses-statements/g4p/

Replying to @ ConnieCounter
No - I respect that that is your sincere view. I also think the Israeli government is terrible and I hope Palestinians receive justice. I just don’t like this “pile on” mentality where nuance and sympathy for people who feel differently is not allowed.
Honestly - I respect your position and the fact that you responded with courtesy

It’s such a complicated situation because there are malign elements ( Iran etc) in the shadows and it’s really hard to know who pulling the strings.
The only thing we can ABSOLUTELY know is that those poor Palestinians and Israeli hostages are innocent- they are pawns in someone else’s obscene game.

Thank you @EasterIssland and well done to University of York and Goldsmiths 🙌🙌🙌

I would like to point out that it is not the official UK Government's position that Israel is a genocidist regime nor is it the official UK Government's position that Israel has/is committing genocide. I am aware that it is the position of some nations but it is not the United Kingdom's and this is a United Kingdom site.

All facts.

The UK Government doesn't exactly hold a monopoly on the moral high ground.

20 years ago, I said "Not in my name". That remains true for their complicity in this tragedy.

https://dailybruin.com/2024/05/03/daily-bruin-print-issue-may-3

UCLA Student newspaper, this edition with coverage of the events of the last week. Final article on page 9 describes how the students were left to try to fend off the thugs throwing fireworks at them, etc, on their own for an assault lasting a few hours.

I think you'll find facts get short shrift here, but it IS important. 'Genocide' is a technical & legal term, not defined in terms of whether the person using the word thinks they have the moral high ground. Throwing the term around is just symptomatic of the hysteria surrounding this issue & hardly likely to help in any negotiated settlement in the ME, or help in calming communal relations outside the ME. But I guess it suits these actors to keep things at fever pitch.

Can I ask to those talking facts … who has spoken about the British government in this thread?

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/jessica-seinfeld-bill-ackman-fund-200308497.html

The NY Times have done a very comprehensive piece on this. I couldn't read it all because of the paywall but what I caught is the pro Palestinian protestors were left fending off violent counter protesters for hours before police intervened

The New York Times used more than 100 videos filmed by journalists, witnesses and protesters to analyze hours of clashes — and a delayed police response — at a pro-Palestinian encampment on Tuesday.
The police arrived hours after the violence had begun, but they did not intervene immediately.

There will be a lot of questions to answer by the university, on how violent counter protesters were allowed free reign on campus to do what they liked. Pro Palestinian encampment were sitting ducks

@noblegiraffe @TrickyRibbon

It’s a valid observation.

Nobody here has answered to say that they believe….

1 that the US university protests are out of control and need to be shut down

AND

2 the actions of Israel in Gaza are unacceptable

So it can be concluded that this thread has many people on it who only care about perceived injustices when they are happening to their own or favoured group.

Where is the humanity? Where is the care for your fellow human beings?

What is hysterical, is people in the UK who can safely go about their business thinking they face an existential threat, getting upset by people protesting about the actual death and destruction in Gaza. I think some perspective is required

The British Government also thought we could completely protect ourselves from an airborne virus by washing our hands. Which was not what the WHO said.

Except for the detailed, evidenced facts you post?✉️

It's not hysterical. Israel's actions meet the legal definition in several ways. Are you subscribing to Netanyahu's outrageous claim that Israel can't possibly be committing genocide because the Holocaust happened? It doesn't stand up to scrutiny as a defence I'm afraid.

If you were actually paying attention to what's happening in Gaza you wouldn't be so dismissive of queries on genocide. Starving millions of people, killing tens of thousands of civilians, destroying all civilian infrastructure including healthcare. It's all there.

I agree. I’m amazed that so many people are still in denial about what’s happening in Gaza.