This a (Pro)Test
Full disclosure: Although I am a pro-two state, anti-Netanyahu liberal on matters related to Israel, most of the campus protests (some of which celebrated Hamas and many of which started before Israel even responded to the Oct 7th attacks) upset me deeply, the way they morphed into antisemitism sickened me, and the passivity with which some colleges responded to that antisemitism confounded me. And given that the protests (along with the constant haranguing of Kamala Harris on the campaign trail) helped turn the election for Trump who now suggests remaking Gaza as a resort, one could argue that this movement was the one of the most counterproductive in history. All that said, we should all be worried about an American government clamping down on free speech and threatening higher education in ways that will not stop at the targeting a few of the most ardent campus agitators. Of course, anyone who intimidates people or acts violently at a protest should be held to account. But in this case, it’s not just about what’s happening in terms of law enforcement. It’s about who’s doing it. ICE arrests Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University protests. “Federal immigration authorities arrested a Palestinian activist Saturday who played a prominent role in Columbia University’s protests against Israel, a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s pledge to detain and deport student activists … ‘As ICE agents arrived at Khalil’s Manhattan residence Saturday night, they also threatened to arrest Khalil’s wife, an American citizen who is eight months pregnant.'” Trump said, “This is the first arrest of many to come.” Meanwhile, “a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, confirmed Khalil’s arrest in a statement Sunday, describing it as being ‘in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism.'” (As a Jew, orders prohibiting anti-semitism would be a lot more believable coming from a group that heiled a little less often…)
+ Again, this is about a lot more than Khalil and protestors. Harvard Freezes Hiring Amid Anxiety Over Trump.
