This Is How American Politicians and Media Deliberately Work to Distort Student Protests at Universities

Student protests at American universities demanding a halt to university investments in "Israel" and an end to the aggression against Gaza have once again exposed Western double standards around freedom of expression, from distorting the student uprising to suppressing and arresting them.

The student demonstrators are also facing threats of expulsion from colleges, accusations of anti-Semitism, and lack of acceptance into corporate jobs in the United States.

Terms such as "agents," "terrorism on campuses," and "anti-Semitism" have also become systematically used by the political and media levels in the United States.

In turn, U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the student protests at American universities, describing them as anti-Semitic, adding that there is no place for anti-Semitism in American universities.

In the same context, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson stressed the need for the Biden administration to break up sit-ins at American universities as quickly as possible, considering it a dangerous and unprecedented phenomenon that indicates growing anti-Semitism in American society.

Protests have escalated in many American universities since last April 18, despite attempts by police forces to disperse them by force, in addition to the arrest of thousands of students protesting inside those universities.

Anti-Semitism Awareness Act 

In a move considered a response to the growing student protests at American universities, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, with 187 Republican and 133 Democratic voting in favor of it, while 21 Republican and 70 Democratic voted against it.

As a result, students protesting against the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza may face charges of anti-Semitism, according to the new bull approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on April 1, 2024.

This bill was led by Republican Rep. Mike Lawler and Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer.

For this bill to become effective legislation, the Senate must approve it, which is still uncertain, before it is transmitted to President Joe Biden for his signature and publication.

"I am grateful for the bipartisan support for the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, and for the support of a wide range of Jewish organizations who stand up and support this legislation and say enough is enough," said Mike Lawler.

Rep. Marcus J. Molinaro considered that establishing sit-in camps on American universities is not an expression but a direct threat to Jewish students on campus; a speech repeated by a number of American officials, including Democrats.

"All of our universities have a responsibility to protect against hate and discrimination. There is a difference between expression that should be protected and harassment, violence, and intimidation," said Josh Gottheimer.

The new bill would require the Department of Education to use the working definition of anti-Semitism, developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws.

The working definition of anti-Semitism is the demonstrations against "Israel," describing it as racism, and drawing comparisons between Israeli politics and Nazi politics, as hatred toward Jews.

The bill's approval comes one day after the U.S. House Speaker announced that the House was expanding its investigation into anti-Semitism on college campuses and would specifically consider federal funding.

The debate heated up in the U.S. House of Representatives, as some representatives from both parties were accused of neglecting American values in favor of politics, and some Democrats pointed out that many liberal Jewish groups opposed the bill.

Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, who is Jewish, warned that comments critical of "Israel" do not in themselves constitute illegal discrimination, noting that the bill is too broad and would undermine freedom of expression protected by the constitution.

In turn, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, said she opposed the bill because it could convict Christians of anti-Semitism.

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie also criticized the bill, noting that it only refers to the definition of the IHRA, without clearly indicating which parts would be included in the law.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, called the legislation a ridiculous hate speech bill.

Americans for Peace Now (APN) expressed its concern that this bill would be used as a weapon against millions of Americans, including many Jewish Americans, who object to the decisions of the Israeli government, and the behavior of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the war against Hamas.

The American Civil Liberties Union also pushed back on the legislation, warning in a letter that it would likely chill free speech of students on college campuses by incorrectly equating criticism of the Israeli government with anti-Semitism.

Alarming Threats

In an attempt to break up student sit-ins on campus, Columbia University threatened to expel students who did not leave the pro-Palestine sit-in inside the university, the New York Times reported.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson also threatened last week to cancel the visas of foreign students participating in protests in support of Palestine at universities.

Johnson said, in an interview with Axios, "The idea of confiscating the visas of foreign students participating in the protests should be raised on the one hand, and the cancellation of tax exemptions to pressure universities regarding the protests should be considered on the other hand."

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed on April 24 that foreign students may also face the risk of deportation if they are suspended from studying after they entered the country under a student visa.

Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), called for the deportation of foreign nationals who support Hamas, in addition to canceling the federal student loans of any American student arrested because of his support for Hamas.

On his part, Alan Dershowitz, a former Harvard Law School professor, vowed to sue students in solidarity with Palestine and strip them of their university housing.

In a recording posted on social media, the American lawyer indicated that he would engage in major defensive and offensive legal wars against those he claimed were fanatics and anti-Semites.

In a related context, American businessman and millionaire Kevin O'Leary said that pro-Palestinian student protesters are threatened with rejection when they apply for jobs because employers will recognize them through artificial intelligence.

Deliberate Distortion

On the other hand, the American politicians and media deliberately mixed anti-Semitism with anti-"Israel," despite the participation of Jewish students and professors in the protests, most notably Norman Finkelstein, who comes from a family of Holocaust survivors, and Judith Butler, a professor from a Jewish family. 

Jewish organizations, such as Jewish Voice for Peace and Harvard Jewish Coalition for Peace, also participated in the American university protests.

Among the participating Jewish organizations is the Atidna organization that seeks dialogue with others, and its founder is University of Texas student and Jewish peace activist Elijah Kahlenberg, who describes what is currently happening in Gaza as genocide.

Republican representatives in Congress are also currently seeking to exploit their oversight powers to investigate pro-Palestine protests at American universities, with the aim of shedding light on this hot issue before next November's elections, according to the Washington Post.

Four Republican committee chairs are currently conducting investigations into the student protests, as part of what House Speaker Mike Johnson described as a House-wide investigation into anti-Semitism in the United States.

The extent of the efforts expended in these investigations shows the Republican Party's keenness to use the protests that led to the division of the Democratic Party and diverted attention from the criminal trials to which former U.S. President Donald Trump is subject, as a political cudgel, according to the Washington Post.

Last year, Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik's questioning of three university presidents about their handling of anti-Semitism at their universities led to two of them resigning.

Right-wing media outlets close to the Republican Party have focused over the past few days on criticizing the administration of American universities, due to what they described as hesitant positions in ending the sit-ins.

One of the manifestations of this incitement came through the New York Post, which published an article accusing the student protests, under the headline College students aren't having enough sex — so they're turning to anti-Israel protests: NYU professor.

CBS News correspondent Ali Bauman said in a TV interview that there is evidence that the wife of a known terrorist was among the protesters at the Columbia University sit-in, but she removed the post after she was exposed to criticism.

On his part, New York Mayor Eric Adams launched charges against the protesters at Columbia University.

He said: "The sit-in included saboteurs and people from outside the university." 

He also accused the sit-in and the students of chanting anti-Semitic chants.

In addition, Adams accused the students of raising the flag of another country, meaning the Palestinian flag.

Following these statements, activists posted a previous photo of a New York Mayor raising the Israeli flag.

In turn, activist Omar Taha pointed out in a statement to Al-Estiklal that "the American administration's response, whether by forcefully dispersing the sit-ins of protesting students, or through threats, or through the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, is neither considered a moral nor a legal act."

He added, "The United States, which spread the concepts of democracy and liberalism, must respect those principles first before holding other countries accountable for not implementing them."