Jewish college students in the U.S. face antisemitism, little help from officials
February 22, 2024
By Casey Harper | The Center Square
The rise of pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. university campuses often feature protesters calling for violence against Jews, leaving Jewish students feeling unsafe and frustrated by the lack of response from school administrators and federal officials.
Pro-Palestine sentiment is not new to many of these campuses, but the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israeli civilians and the ensuing war in Gaza have sparked far more frequent and zealous demonstrations.
For Ethan Melman, a born-and-raised Chicagoan attending the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, that issue came to a head last fall when he, a Jewish student, attended one of the pro-Palestine protests to investigate.
Once there, Melman pulled out his phone to record, but he soon became the focus of the protest.
The video obtained by The Center Square shows the nature, speeches and chants from the protest, not dissimilar to others around the country.
“From the river to the sea Palestine will be free!”
“Educate those who think violence is unjust!”
“Decolonization looks like blood stained knives and searing bullets.”