Protests at Columbia University in New York have drawn national attention from the media and lawmakers, inspiring parallel actions around the nation.
The Ministry of Health under the Hamas administration reports that over 34,200 Palestinians have died in Gaza, while protestors claim to be showing solidarity with the people there.
Pro-Israel activists and others who are concerned about campus safety, however, have brought up anti-Semitic events and claimed that universities are promoting hate speech and intimidation.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing that “the president believes that free speech, debate, and nondiscrimination on college campuses are important.”
“We think that peaceful self-expression is a fundamental human right. However, it is imperative that we confront hate speech and violent acts when they occur.
“Blautant anti-Semitism” has “no place on college campuses,” according to Biden, who condemned it on Sunday.
Meanwhile, at Columbia, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson denounced “the virus of anti-Semitism” and demanded the resignation of the university’s president.
There is a moment for the National Guard, according to Johnson, “if this is not contained quickly and if these threats and intimidation are not stopped.”
Four students were killed in a high-profile shooting event in 1970 when Kent State University in Ohio’s National Guard opened fire on demonstrators opposing the Vietnam War.
Videos on social media show hundreds of protestors at the University of Texas engaged in a heated confrontation with mounted state troopers as pro-Palestinian demonstrations have grown in number. Elsewhere on campus, police wearing riot gear have been seen repressing activists.
As Biden seeks reelection in November, Washington has attempted to tread carefully when it comes to backing Israel in the face of mounting indignation about the number of deaths in Gaza, particularly among younger Americans.
President Joe Biden granted billions in military assistance to the United States’ main Middle Eastern partner on the same day that the White House requested “answers” from Israeli authorities after the discovery of mass graves in Gaza.
According to an AFP count of Israeli government estimates, Israel started the war in Gaza in response to an extraordinary Hamas offensive on October 7 that claimed almost 1,170 lives.