There has been a disturbing increase in pro-Hamas demonstrations on college campuses across the nation, signaling a disturbing surge of support for a group known by many as a terrorist organization. While these protest movements have largely escaped close examination – let alone criticism, this time one critic, surprisingly from The New York Times, dared to stand against the tide.
David French, a New York Times columnist, offered a stark contrast to the prevailing media narrative that universally portrays these protesters as crusaders for justice. He astutely argued during PBS’s NewsHour segment, that the relentless campus protesters not only pose a threat to students by disrupting the educational process, but often specifically target Jewish students.
Taking a hard stand against reporter Lisa Desjardins’s liberal-leaning sympathy towards campus mob movements, French demonstrated a firm belief in organized, lawful, and respectful protest methods that don’t disrupt others’ rights. Despite displaying an understanding of the protesters’ sentiments, he underscored that protests shouldn’t infringe upon anyone else’s First Amendment rights or disrupt the process of education.
Desjardins, seemingly less concerned about the disruptive acts of the protesters, attempted to diminish the protests’ impact by dismissing them as mere inconveniences. However, she failed to grasp French’s key point that concerning Jewish students’ targeted harassment far surpasses a mere ‘convenience issue,’ such as having an unobstructed path to the library.
A typical segment on this program would involve quoting ‘bad guy’ Donald Trump’s negative comments on Palestinian refugees and glossing over the actions of pro-Hamas protesters. But this time, French highlighted these protests’ disturbing anti-Semitic undertones.
In conclusion, the discussion about the surge in pro-Hamas protests on college campuses is a crucial and timely one, and it should continue. The prevailing narrative that shies away from calling these protesters out allows the issues of anti-Semitism and disruption of education to fester unchecked. We must align with French’s belief in the sanctity of the First Amendment and the right to education, two elements that these protesters seemingly dismiss and exploit to further their agenda.
