Editorial: May 3, 2024: Complicated Conflict, Complicated Reactions
On campus clashes reflect global unrest
On campus clashes reflect global unrest
On campus clashes reflect global unrest
Clear across America, college campuses have roiled with protests over Gaza. Disagreements rage as well over how schools should be handling this increasingly incendiary issue. After all, the Arab/Israeli conflict is among the world’s most intractable. Why should we expect uncomplicated reactions to its most recent, violent convulsion.
So, a small step back to try and acknowledge some tough but simple facts.
Last October 7th, Hamas perpetrated a day of death for Jews unlike any since the Holocaust. That single day—in which 1200 were murdered and 250 more were taken hostage—is the immediate origin story for the current conflict. That cannot be forgotten. Also, Israel’s ongoing response has resulted in over 30,000 civilian deaths in Gaza and has spawned a worsening humanitarian crisis. That cannot be ignored. These two truths sit painfully side by side.
On American campuses, hard truths also run through bitter disagreements.
Colleges and universities are places of shared study and learning. They are diverse communities of thousands. Common spaces must be shared and respected, and safety must be paramount. A threatening environment—including antisemitism—cannot be tolerated. As with the wider society outside the campus gates, if rules and regulations for the common good are to have meaning, they must be enforced.
Also deserving protection: First Amendment rights. The right to assemble and protest within limits is as valid on, as it is off campus. To feel passionate about a collective cause can be a defining part of the college experience. And concurrently, students who willfully break rules of campus conduct or local laws must face consequences. Indeed, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. often said, accepting, not evading punishment is a key part of civil disobedience.
When disobedience descends into vandalism and violence, universities must respond with zero tolerance. Such acts are no less criminal when committed on a campus.
In the next month or so, commencements will be held on countless campuses.
Many in this year’s graduating classes missed high school graduations due to the pandemic. We hope they don’t miss the experience of college graduation as well. More importantly, we hope for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. Generations of Israeli and Palestinian young people have missed that experience, too.