In 6 months, more US college students blame 'Israel' for Oct. 7: Poll

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: NBC News
25 Apr 2024 19:57
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The number of students blaming Hamas for the October 7 events is down 11%, while the number blaming “Israel” is up 11% since October.

Young people attend a media press conference outside a tent camp on the campus of Columbia University in New York on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP)

A new Generation Lab poll of two- and four-year college students reveals that the number of US students who used to blame Hamas for October 7 has plunged by more than 10 percentage points in the past six months.

41% of college students blame Hamas – a number down from 52% in an earlier Generation Lab poll back in October after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Meanwhile, 27% now blame “Israel” - up 11% since October.

Notably, an additional 12% blame Arab governments for the attacks, a number unchanged from six months ago, and 20% claim someone else is to blame, which is down from 25% in October.

In more detail, 66% of Republican students, 43% of independents, and 34% of Democratic students claim Hamas is to blame.

49% of white college students, 34% of Latinos, and 27% of Black students say Hamas is to blame.

Still, 20% say Hamas’ response is justified, which is up from 12% in October.

This comes in light of a wave of protests that began at Columbia University in New York and has spread to other states' universities and even those in other countries.

Dozens of students, alongside faculty staff and media personnel, were arrested on Wednesday while participating in pro-Palestine demonstrations at various US college campuses.

At least 34 students, including a member of the media from a local news station, were arrested during protests at the University of Texas in Austin, and at least 50 more were detained by police at the University of Southern California (USC).

These arrests occurred amid a series of demonstrations at campuses across the US, which began last week after students at Columbia University established encampments demanding the university divest from weapons manufacturers with ties to "Israel". These protests have resulted in numerous suspensions and the arrest of hundreds of students in New York and other cities.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators at US universities faced predictable accusations of anti-semitism amid their protests.

In a related development, the Director of Al Mayadeen's office in Washington affirmed earlier that an intensive media campaign is ongoing, aiming to associate the university solidarity movement with Palestine in the United States with "antisemitism".

In summary, US universities succumbed to pressure from affluent donors and congressional members instead of upholding their students' rights to peaceful protest and fostering an environment conducive to First Amendment-protected discourse. They opted for cracking down on student demonstrators.