College Democrats back protests, criticize Biden’s 'Israel' policy
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According to the statement, the push for the freedom of Palestine is not antisemitic nor is opposing "the genocidal acts of the far-right radical extremist Israeli government.”
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A pro-Palestine protester yells as state troopers stand during a protest at the University of Austin Texas on April 29, 2024. (AP)
College Democrats of America, the Democratic Party's student group, backed pro-Palestine college rallies that have been sweeping the nation on Tuesday and urged President Joe Biden to support a lasting ceasefire in the war on Gaza, which has killed a staggering 34,535 martyrs and 77,704 injuries.
The organization in a statement praised protesters on campuses for having "the moral clarity to see this war for what it is: destructive, genocidal, and unjust" and criticized the response from college officials, including the suspension and detention of students, as well as the smearing of protesters by MAGA Republicans and other lawmakers.
“We find all calls for violence, such as those against Jewish and Muslim students, wrong; those spreading hate have no place in the movement for peace."
The statement also detailed that pushing for the freedom of Palestine is not antisemitic nor is opposing "the genocidal acts of the far-right radical extremist Israeli government.”
The US President and other Democrats were criticized in the statement for failing to rally behind demands for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, as well as a swift effort to achieve a "two-state solution" that acknowledges an independent Palestinian state.
The UN human rights chief Volker Turk voiced on Tuesday being "troubled" by the actions taken by US authorities and security forces in an attempt to dismantle pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses, telling reporters that it was crucial that freedom of speech not be conflated with incitement to violence and hatred.
This comes after Columbia students reclaimed Hamilton Hall and named it Hind Hall as a tribute to six-year-old martyr Hind Rajab who was killed by "Israel".
The statement is an aggressive reproach from an institution that has always collaborated with the Democratic Party and its leader.
The organization detailed that although they are committed to Biden's reelection, they represent youth across the US and “reserve the right to criticize our own party when it fails to represent youth voices.”
"The White House has taken the mistaken route of a bear-hug strategy for Netanyahu and a cold-shoulder strategy for its own base and all Americans who want to see an end to this war.”
This follows almost two weeks of protests that have swept across upward of 79 universities in the United States, leading to hundreds of arrests in crackdowns that ensued.
Netanyahu urges blocking of ICC action; US officials quick to oblige
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked United States President Joe Biden to prevent the International Criminal Court (ICC) from issuing arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials responsible for war crimes in the Gaza Strip, Axios said citing two Israeli officials.
Just today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said if the International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for government officials on charges related to the conduct of its war on Gaza it would be tantamount to a "scandal on a historic scale."
"The possibility that they will issue arrest warrants for war crimes against IDF commanders and state leaders, this possibility is a scandal on a historic scale," Netanyahu said.
Slamming any such decision by the World Court, Netanyahu insisted on moving along with the genocide in Gaza. "I want to make one thing clear: no decision, neither in The Hague nor anywhere else, will harm our determination to achieve all the goals of the war - the release of all our hostages, a complete victory over Hamas and a promise that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel," he said.
Reportedly, the names of Netanyahu, Security Minister Yoav Gallant, and Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi have been circled as suspects of war crimes that the ICC will look to prosecute.
According to Axios, Netanyahu expressed his concern regarding increasing reports on the possibility of the issuance of the arrest warrants, during a phone call with Biden regarding regional developments and the prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinian Resistance.
The ICC has been looking into war crimes committed back in 2014 in the Gaza Strip, however, it has produced no punitive decisions against individuals.
A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council declined to comment on the contents of Netanyahu's call with Biden, but told Axios, "As we have publicly said many times, the ICC has no jurisdiction in this situation and we do not support its investigation."
Nonetheless, the ICC's issued arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the conflict in Ukraine garnered the support of the US and other Western nations.
