Tom Minear: Back to class for anti-Israel students

As a student protest movement over the war in Gaza spreads from New York across the world, including to Australia, Tom Minear challenges its black-and-white and anti-Semitic views.

When I was at university, I was always slightly bemused by my peers who threw themselves into political causes on campus.

I was a student of politics, but I saw university as a place to broaden my knowledge and test my ideas, whereas they were already so fervent in their beliefs. Mostly from well-off families, they seemed to lack the life experience for such fervency to be admirable rather than naive.

I was reminded of this last week as Columbia University in New York emerged as the epicentre of a nationwide student protest movement over the war in Gaza. Encampments also popped up in Melbourne and Sydney, with similar calls for unis to divest from Israel.

Tents set up by pro-Palestinian protesters on the campus of Columbia University in New York. Picture: Leonardo Munoz (AFP)

It would be difficult not to be affected by the human suffering in Gaza, and given how this has played out on social media more than in any other war, it is no surprise young people want to make their voices heard.

What is surprising to me – as it was when I was at university – is how so many of them view the issue in black and white terms. They see Palestine versus Israel as colonised versus coloniser, oppressed versus oppressor, good versus evil.

There is no room for nuance. No willingness to condemn Hamas. No understanding that the Netanyahu government’s failures should not undermine the necessity of the state of Israel.

As world leaders mounted a renewed effort to demand Hamas release the hostages from its October 7 attack, and accused the terror group of blocking a ceasefire deal, students across the US still blamed Israel for failing to end the war.

"Do you know what NYU is doing about Israel? Why are we protesting here?" pic.twitter.com/JAtxxF4XYB

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) April 24, 2024

In doing so, much of their rhetoric was downright anti-Semitic – even though they would surely abhor other protests founded on differences in race, gender or sexual orientation.

As I wondered about this, I came across a video of two Columbia students at a protest at New York University. This is what they said.

Student A: “I think the goal is just showing our support for Palestine and demanding that NYU stops … I honestly don’t know all of what NYU’s doing … I really don’t know. I’m pretty sure … Do you know what NYU’s doing?”

Student B: “About what?”

Student A: “About Israel? Why are we protesting here at NYU?”

Student B: “I wish I was more educated.”

Student A: “I’m not either.”

Perhaps it’s time for them and their peers to go back to class. They might learn something.

Originally published as Tom Minear: Back to class for anti-Israel students