Palestine college student protest megathread

[GAinDC]

Was just talking to some of my younger gen z coworkers about this.

They are white, educated, left leaning young professionals in DC. The consensus from them was that the campus protestors are in the right and are treated unfairly, America is supporting war crimes and genocide, and these college students are young and broke so all they can do to make their voice heard is to protest.

One colleague who worked for the PA Dem Party in 2020 said she is ashamed that she helped Biden get elected but she will still vote for him.

I agreed with them on some of their points but said I worry about the implications of the US abandoning Israel. I also said I wish the protestors had the same energy for the hostages.

Idk how to feel. I don't want to be on the wrong side of history, but I don't know what the right side is. I wish I could see things as clearly as they do, but I just don't.

[GAinDC]

Some protesters might be calling for the U.S. to "abandon" Israel, but honestly just telling the government to tone it down would be a big step. See Reagan getting Begin to withdraw from Lebanon, for instance.

But thats not what these protesters are calling for. They want full BDS

[GAinDC]

Idk how to feel. I don't want to be on the wrong side of history, but I don't know what the right side is. I wish I could see things as clearly as they do, but I just don't.

Why has this statement become so ubiquitous lately, especially in the context of the Israel/Palestine conflict? Seems like some sort of cultish thinking.

Many in the movement believe this is their civil rights movement/stonewall/black lives matter moment.

But as a progressive, I certainly wouldn’t feel great carrying water for a regime (Hamas) that is oppressive to women, gay people and others. Israel’s gov’t is also right wing but the country still has much more rights for those groups.

I can oppose the way Israel is waging this war while also realizing that empowering Hamas would not bring peace or stability to this region. But to many progressives who are “all in” on this issue, acknowledging that Israel has a right to defend itself after being attacked, and that Hamas is also culpable for the carnage in this war, is akin to supporting a genocide.