Commentary: 'Elite' universities must stop coddling irrational student mobs

If someone is spending $350,000 to get an undergraduate degree, I feel like that student should be safe from physical threats and violence while on campus. As matter of fact, that should be the case on all properties at all schools, it just seems that this issue tends to arise more at the “elite” universities in this country.

MIT, Yale, Harvard, Columbia, NYU, Stanford, UC Berkeley and many other universities have been witness to thousands of students creating encampments and chanting and holding signs in protest of the war between Israel and Hamas/Gaza. Protests are fine. Protests can be healthy. Protesting is an American right. Violence, threats and chants calling for either, however, are not.

For the past two weeks what began as “pro-Palestinian” rallies have turn into anti-Israel and anti-Jewish protests and in some cases rioting. Violence broke out against police in New York City led by students throwing bottles and other projectiles. Jewish students have been surrounded and screamed at with Anti-Semitic tropes. A Jewish student journalist covering the protest was encircled, with dozens of fellow students screaming at her, flipping her off and then one stabbing her in the eye with a Palestinian flag. She was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Jewish students on campuses are hearing chants and reading signs with words such as, “Go back to Poland”; “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”; “We don’t want Zionists here!”; “The 7th of October is going to be every day for you!”; “We are all Hamas”; and one person held a sign with an arrow to Jewish students rallying for themselves, that read, “Al-Qassam’s Next Target!” Al-Qassam is the armed, military wing of the Hamas terror group.

These protestors aren't standing up for suffering Palestinian civilians, they are championing terrorists whose stated mission is to wipe Israel and all Jews off the face of the planet. These protests were to oppose the killing of innocent Palestinians, but now they are championing genocide. They certainly aren’t helping their cause.

Good people can disagree on several aspects of what is happening in Israel and Gaza. Should Israel stop fighting in Gaza? Should they allow more humanitarian aid? Do they need to be more careful to prevent civilian deaths? In light of just how vile and violent and abhorrent the treacherous act by Hamas on October 7th, should they continue to do whatever it takes to root out the terrorists in Palestinian territory? Should they carry out their planned attack on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip where Hamas fighters have fled to, but where civilians are taking refuge as well? These are legitimate topics that can and should be discussed. That’s not what is happening on the college campuses.

I am dismayed at the lack of leadership at Ivy League schools, particularly Columbia, which seems to be getting the most attention. They moved college courses to online, some teaching is hybrid, and finals, will have online components. That’s to keep students safe. That's the answer? So that violent, anti-Semitic students don't harass and attack Jewish students, they’re keeping kids indoors and at home. How about, punish the ones that are attacking and harassing? How about kick them off campus, out of school and if they don’t leave, have them arrested. Yes, several students were arrested at first, but then Columbia, for instance, decided to instead “negotiate” with the protestors. What is there to “negotiate”? It’s very simple, “get the hell off the lawn, or you will be arrested.” The right to protest or not, the school absolutely has the right to do that.

But, no. Ivy leadership is negotiating with a mob of hateful ignoramuses who are demanding they divest—sell—any investment they have in any Israeli-tied company. They want the University to be washed of any Jewish connection.

The demands also include that the Universities call for a cease fire by Israel. Ohhhh, is that how this works? I mean, nations around the world are asking Israeli Prime Ministers Benjamin Netanyahu for restraint and greater protection of Palestinian civilians. The United States has specifically been trying to convince Netanyahu not to invade Rafah and his response is, “This will happen there; there’s a date.” But, these kids think Netanyahu is going to suddenly say, “I completely ignored the military and government leaders of our greatest ally and protector, but, now that some elite colleges—who are allowing their students to chant for our genocide—are asking us to stand down, I declare, ‘CEASE FIRE!’” I’m not sure what is greater in this demand, the narcissism or sheer ignorance.

Why are college and university Presidents allowing this to continue? At Columbia, 22% of students are Jewish. Why are nearly a quarter of the students being told to stay home so those that hate them can spread their loathing and invoke fear? I think they should take the position of the greatest President, James Marshall (Harrison Ford, Air Force One): “Never again will I allow our political self-interest to deter us from doing what we know to be right…your day is over. We will never negotiate. We will no longer tolerate, and we will no longer be afraid.”

Then, they invoke another of President Marshall’s greatest lines, directly to the terrorists, “Get off my plane!”..er, Campus!

Alicia Preston Xanthopoulos is a former political consultant and member of the media. She’s a native of Hampton Beach where she lives with her family and two poodles. Write to her at PrestonPerspective@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Commentary: 'Elite' universities must stop coddling student mobs