Opinion: After Oct. 7 attack, why do so many Americans side with terrorists over Israel?
By Ingrid Jacques, USA TODAY,
3 hours ago
The past year has been revealing.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists massacred almost 1,200 innocent people in Israel and abducted about 250 more , we’ve all learned a lot about the views of our fellow Americans.
It’s been a rude awakening.
From the campuses of our most “esteemed” universities to the streets of our biggest cities, protests have erupted in support of those who committed those atrocities against Israel – the defender of Western civilization in the Middle East.
In the days immediately after the attack, student groups at top colleges, including Harvard, issued statements blaming Israel for what happened to its people . And the students didn’t stop there. They actively stood in support of those who slaughtered women, children and the elderly.
It was just the beginning.
Pro-Palestinian protesters carry signs as they march in front of Sather Gate on the UC Berkeley campus on April 22, 2024 in Berkeley, Calif. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters staged a demonstration in front of Sproul Hall on the UC Berkeley campus where they set up a tent encampment in solidarity with protesters at Columbia University who are demanding a permanent cease-fire in the war between Israel and Gaza. Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
Pro-Palestinian protesters also have disrupted cities around the country, from blocking major freeways to shutting down events because of threats of violence, all because the United States has maintained its support for Israel to defend itself.
In June, a mob of protesters in New York City chanted the hateful slogan “long live the intifada” in front of an exhibit in honor of the more than 300 victims murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7.
Pro-Palestinian supporters confront police during demonstrations at The City College Of New York (CUNY) as the NYPD cracks down on protest camps at both Columbia University and CCNY on April 30, 2024 in New York City. A heavy police presence surrounded both campuses on Tuesday as local law enforcement attempts to bring an end to pro-Palestinian protest encampments. Classes at both schools have been moved virtually to online learning in response to the recent campus unrest. Spencer Platt, Getty Images
A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll in December found that an alarming number of young Americans think Israel should simply cease to exist. Of those ages 18 to 24, 51% said Israel should be “ended and given to Hamas and the Palestinians.”
No wonder so many of these same young people have felt emboldened to act out at their universities.
These protests have not gone unnoticed, however, and Republicans in Congress, as well as influential donors, have called out universities’ lackluster response to such blatant antisemitism.
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It’s not just college kids, however, who have distanced themselves from Israel. A recent poll from The Economist/YouGov found that by a more than 2 to 1 ratio (33% to 14%) Democrats sympathize with the Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war. By contrast, 63% of Republicans sympathize with Israel; only 5% side with Palestinians.
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