On campuses across Canada, throughout the US, across the UK and Europe thousands of protesting “students” have carried out a campaign against the war in Gaza … or at least, against one side in it, Israel.
They have called for universities, governments and corporations to divest ANY economic, scientific, professional, cultural/educational contacts with the Jewish state.
Many have also called on Western nations to condemn Israel’s military actions in Gaza, stop providing it military equipment (even of a defensive nature), cut ties with every company doing business in Israel, stop selling any Israeli products in our countries, and have even expressed support for another violent Intifada.
Some have gone further: calling for the complete elimination of Israel as a state. (Don’t let anyone fool you: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” means the destruction of the Jewish state.)
And make no mistake: when they call for a “full ceasefire” and withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza, that’s just another way of calling for a Hamas victory, that would allow the terrorist organization to survive, rebuild, re-arm, fire more rockets, carry out more deadly attacks on Israelis … and continue to oppress the Palestinian people as well.
The worst of the protestors have also spewed anti-Semitic vitriol, praising Hamas terrorists for their murderous rampage Oct 7, or have verbally and physically assaulted students wearing Jewish religious symbols or intimidated those just trying to attend classes.
And several of the protests have been marred by violence: smashing of windows, doors and furnishings; occupying and spray-painting of buildings, inside and out, with graffiti and anti-Semitic hate messages; desecrating of statues; tearing down and burning of flags; and, violent confrontations with counter-protestors.
And that’s where they fail.
Clearly, these “students” have not taken any courses on the civil rights ideas, campaigns, and tactics of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela. Or they failed the course!
Because none of the campus protests I have seen anywhere have called for Palestinians and Israelis to live peacefully side by side: two neighbouring states and peoples, respecting each other, co-operating economically, culturally and even on matters of mutual security, to defeat extremism and terrorism.
And that’s where/how the protestors prove an important point: terrorists and those supporting them are not partners for peace.
The latest protests condemn Israel and everything Israeli and, in too many cases, express just plain, bigoted hate against Jewish people.
But they say NOTHING to call out the Palestinian terrorists (Hamas, Islamic Jihad, PFLP, Al Aqsa Brigade) who, even during periods of “ceasefire”, fired thousands of rockets deliberately aimed at Israeli civilians and then carried out the massacre and hostage-takings of Oct 7.
The student protestors, and the agitators who have joined them, by being so one-sided, are actually HURTING any chances of an end to the 80-year-long conflict … and Hamas knows/welcomes that!
Sunday, no doubt buoyed by the worldwide support from the protests, Hamas left the negotiations in Cairo, deliberately once more scuttling a temporary ceasefire,, … and then fired 10 rockets from Rafah at the Kerem Shalom border post (where hundreds of trucks carrying food from Israel into Gaza have been crossing daily) injuring 10 Israeli soldiers … three of them critically.
So the border is closed again.
Peace will only come between the Palestinians and Israelis when moderate leaders on both sides sit down and negotiate a mutual agreement, complete with agreed upon borders and security arrangements.
But to do that, Hamas and the other terrorist groups crippling Gaza MUST first be eliminated … for the good of the Palestinian people, as well as the Israelis.
Western governments …and any “students” who REALLY care about the Palestinians should support that objective.
War IS terrible, but sometimes necessary, to achieve real, lasting peace.
It’s time for Israel to finish the job!
Harv Oberfeld
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