At the University of Southern California (USC), a march orchestrated by pro-Israel students sharply contrasted the pro-Palestine protests that have been wreaking havoc across the nation’s campuses. This peaceful march, aimed to advocate for Israeli captives held by Hamas, was a breath of fresh air in an era racked by destructive protests.
The march on Wednesday, aptly named the “United for Israel March,” was held in partnership with Pursuit Church and Christian worship artist Sean Feucht. The event drew hundreds of local and non-local pro-Israel patrons who gathered solemnly to mourn lives lost to conflict on October 7 and to voice support for Israelis held by Hamas.
The event kick-started with Feucht leading worship songs, followed by the peaceful march ahead of USC’s graduation ceremony. Student sentiment being overwhelmingly anti-Israel at USC, the gesture meant much more. Importantly, this campus stand against anti-Israel sentiment was a direct response to protest-related arrests and graduation ceremony cancellations that happened earlier.
It’s imperative to remember that just in April, a chaotic pro-Palestine protest led to 90 arrests after creating illegal habitats on campus. Around that time, USC called off its commencement ceremony, apprehensive of violence. Furthermore, a pro-Palestinian activist’s speech was discontinued, and a Jewish professor was prohibited from teaching post his anti-Hamas comments.
Throughout the rally, the crowd maintained an air of tranquility, praying fervently for the protection of Israeli citizens. Feucht pushed the crowd to vanquish anti-Semitism, leading a chant of “Jewish hate must go” that resonated with both Jewish and Christian attendees.
The prayer and song session over, the march forged through Los Angeles streets, chants of “Bring them home” adding power to the waving Israeli and American flags. An overhead plane’s banner proclaiming, “Israel is forever. Jewish Lives Matter,” seemed to echo this sentiment.
Members of advocacy group Concerned Women for America, holding banners of solidarity with Israel, attended the event. Paige Nelson from CWA observed how the march boldly defied the rising tide of anti-Semitism in the country since October 7, 2023.
Contrasting the peaceful rally were violent pro-Hamas camps at schools nationwide advocating for Palestine’s “liberation.” Incendiary comments such as “Hamas is Me! Hamas is You! Hamas is our Family,” were common at riotous protests, for example, at the George Washington University. Princeton students’ hunger strikes, Latino Institute at UCLA blaming cops for ending their violent protests, only highlighted the disorder around such demonstrations.
As Nelson aptly noted, demonstrations can be carried out peacefully, as proved by the pro-Israel march, refuting the need for violence, traffic blockades, or disrespecting the American flag embraced by the pro-Palestine protestors.
Undeniably, such pro-Palestine protestors can learn a thing or two from the way the pro-Israel group effectively and peacefully championed their cause. It’s time advocates for all views took notes, learnt, and led more responsibly!
