Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, over 300 faculty at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have signed a letter urging the school to condemn protests that go from protected speech to unlawful incitement.
The letter states, “We were horrified to see Pro-Palestinian rallies on campus in which the massacres by Hamas were celebrated, including explicit calls for violence (including chanting ‘Intifada’ or event advertisements featuring images of weapons/violence).”
Furthermore, the letter asserts that such celebrations create an atmosphere of fear on campus and questions why similar celebrations of other violent events are not denounced by the UCLA leadership.
As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, college campuses across the nation are dealing with a balancing act of campus safety and free speech amidst growing tension surrounding the conflict.
Recently, pro-Palestinian students at George Washington (GW) University faced criticism for projecting anti-Israel messages on one of the school’s libraries. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) expressed concern over genocidal messages projected at George Washington University, calling for severe punishment if responsible students are not dealt with appropriately by the university.
Amid this turmoil, Columbia University has suspended two student organizations that have been leading protests advocating for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. University Vice President Gerald Rosberg cited threatening rhetoric and intimidation as reasons for the suspension of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace through the end of the fall semester.
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