Polls show level of anti-Israeli sentiment among students
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According to the findings, 27% of respondents blame "Israel" for the current catastrophe in Gaza.
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People stand guard outside an encampment set up by pro-Palestine demonstrators on the campus at the University of Southern California on May 4, 2024 (AP)
According to an exclusive Newsweek/College Pulse study, 80% of college students in the United States disagree with "Israel's" conduct in the war on Gaza.
Newsweek designed the survey, which was administered by College Pulse, and surveyed undergraduates enrolled full-time in four-year programs at 328 colleges and universities in the United States.
According to the findings, 27% of respondents blame "Israel" for the current catastrophe in Gaza, while only 20% blame the Palestinian resistance, Hamas, for the course of events.
In addition, 39% of respondents describe themselves as "pro-Palestinian" while only 11% claim they are "pro-Israel." Meanwhile, 40% chose "neither" on that question.
The US has been enthralled in a domestic debate regarding the war on Gaza, particularly on college campuses, where students have faced a crackdown from college authorities and law enforcement over their protests in support of Palestine.
Columbia University said Monday that it will cancel its two major ceremonies for graduates after suspending protesters who refused to leave their pro-Palestine encampments. The school has been at the forefront of student protests against the war on Gaza, with protests spreading across US institutions.
Several students at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) are facing expulsion after engaging in a "racist" encounter during a pro-Palestinian rally last week.
Despite US complaints and Hamas' promise that the party would agree to a ceasefire agreement negotiated by Qatar and Egypt, Israeli leadership is pushing ahead with an attack into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
As the US election nears in November, the poll found some worrying signs for the current president.
Only 30% of young respondents say they would vote for Joe Biden, and 20% say they will vote for Donald Trump, the expected Republican nominee. In the 2020 election, almost 60% of those aged 18 to 29 voted for Biden in his triumph against Trump.
According to the poll, 28% say they would not vote in the November election, which is virtually equal to the number of respondents who endorse Biden. Furthermore, 15% believe that Biden's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian issue in the coming months will persuade them not to vote. Another 8% believe Biden's comments may persuade them to vote for Trump.
Green Party candidate Jill Stein received 6% of college students' votes, while independent Cornel West received 3%. Both have spoken out against "Israel" during its onslaught in Gaza. Stein was one of hundreds detained at a recent student protest at Washington University in St. Louis.
To send political message to 'Israel', US holds bomb shipment
Sources have revealed to Politico that US President Joe Biden's administration has been delaying multiple weapons shipments to "Israel" for at least two weeks.
The site quoted a US official as saying Tuesday that Washington intended to convey a political message to "Israel", since it has reiterated it cannot back an Israeli attack on Rafah, the border city, without a proper and realistic humanitarian strategy, which the Israelis have ignored.
The delayed supplies include Boeing's small diameter tail kits for unguided bombs, which are meant to improve target accuracy, according to the source, who also mentioned that numerous direct commercial sales to "Israel" were being expedited.
A halt in new sales would make it difficult for the occupation to resupply previously used weapons.
