United States of America

[Schneemann]

Der aktuelle Nahost-Konflikt beschäftigt massiv die US-Bildungseinrichtungen. In bislang so nicht bekanntem Ausmaß wird seitens der Studentenschaft eine enorme Protestwelle gegenüber Israel initiiert bzw. oftmals von anderen Gruppen auch mit beeinflusst, wobei sich hierbei Antizionismus, Islamismus, Antisemitismus, Einwanderungsfragen und andere linke Positionen - bis hin zu Black Lives Matter - durchmischen. Eine ebenso unheilvolle wie hochgradig kritische Mischung. Und zugleich scheinen die Führungszirkel der Universitäten dem Treiben relativ hilflos gegenüberzustehen.

Tensions running high at East Coast college campuses over Israel-Hamas war protests

Administrators of MIT suspended a number of students Thursday from the prestigious technology school after Israel-Hamas war protesters took over a prominent building for much of the day and then some refused to leave by a set deadline.

It was far from the only disruption at college campuses in recent days over the war. Seven people were arrested at a demonstration on Friday at Brandeis University, which this week banned a pro-Palestinian student group, while nearly two dozen students were arrested over a protest at Brown University. On Friday, Columbia University announced it was suspending Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace as official student groups through the end of the term. It accused both of repeatedly violating campus policies including an unauthorized event Thursday. [...]

At MIT, Sally Kornbluth, the school's president, sent a letter to all students outlining the "boundaries of protest on campus" during a pro-Palestinian demonstration that she described as "disruptive" and "loud." The protest in the building called Lobby 7 lasted much of the day and attracted counterprotesters.

When some protesters refused to leave after a deadline was set, the school said it would suspend them. But after hearing concerns including visa issues, Kornbluth said they would be "suspended from non-academic campus activities." It was unclear how many students would be affected and when that would happen. "After exhausting all other avenues for de-escalating the situation, we informed all protesters that they must leave the lobby area within a set time, or they would be subject to suspension," Kornbluth wrote. "Many chose to leave, and I appreciate their cooperation. Some did not." [...]

On Wednesday, Brandeis University President Ron Liebowitz put out a statement to the school community saying it no longer recognized the Brandeis chapter of the National Students for Justice in Palestine. It made the move over what the university said was the group's support of Hamas and its "its call for the violent elimination of Israel and the Jewish people," he wrote. Brandies was founded in 1948 by the American Jewish community.

https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/mit-...ael-hamas/

Ferner:

Choosing a college is hard. The Israel-Hamas war is making it harder

George Washington University used to be one of Josh Jury’s top choices for college. Its vibrant chapter of Hillel, a popular club for Jewish students, piqued the interest of the Illinois high school senior, who wants to study international relations.

That all changed a few weeks ago when backlash mounted at the private college over student protests of the Israel-Hamas war. In Jury’s view, the university’s response to the controversial incident was “really disheartening.” [...] On top of the typical anxieties the college admissions process invariably brings, many Jewish and Muslim families are now drawing up a new set of criteria for which schools they hope their kids will attend next year. Over the next few months, exactly how college leaders navigate the ongoing strife could have a notable impact on which campuses parents and students ultimately choose. For Jewish students, in particular, the mayhem has the potential to accelerate a trend over decades of declining Jewish enrollment at the country’s most selective schools, where much of the controversy related to the war has been centered. [...]

“We are totally switching it up,” said Jennifer Schultz, the parent of a Jewish 16-year-old who was previously considering the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University, in an email. Both campuses have, from the perspective of some Jewish parents, delivered tepid responses amid antisemitic threats. [...] “There’s a reckoning going on with Jewish families and inside many of these institutions,” said Naomi Steinberg, a private college counselor in Florida who works mostly with Jewish students and parents.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/educa...509384007/

Usw. usf.:

Walkouts, rallies, clashes: Israel-Gaza ‘war of words’ roils Columbia University

Students and staff at the Ivy League school have issued a series of dueling statements amid accusations of harassment and physical violence – and the acrimony shows no signs of slowing. [...] Since the Israel-Hamas war began last month, fierce debates about the conflict and the US’s response have riven the university, with students clashing in dueling statements, rallies, and occasional physical confrontations. Hundreds of faculty members have also gotten involved.

The situation is acrimonious and shows no signs of abating: a rightwing, pro-Israel group has deployed a truck near campus with an electronic billboard exposing the identities of students that the group deems “Columbia’s Leading Antisemites”; a 19-year-old was charged with a hate crime after allegedly beating with a stick a student putting up a poster of an Israeli hostage held by Hamas; a swastika was found drawn in a bathroom; students wearing keffiyehs or hijabs have reportedly been harassed; and an unnamed Columbia administrative officer told a campus radio reporter, during a rally, that he hoped pro-Palestinian protesters would “die”. [...]

The day after a pro-Palestinian activist allegedly assaulted a student hanging a poster, hundreds of students participated in simultaneous, dueling pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian rallies. A nervous Columbia University administration closed the campus to the public.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023...as-protest

Es gäbe noch genügend andere Beispiele. Das Problem ist allerdings vielmehr - und manches mag oder kann man mit der Ungestümheit der Jugend noch (v)erklären -, dass hier die zukünftigen Eliten und Führungskräfte ausgebildet werden. Und da stellt sich die Frage, wie diese Leute sich in zehn oder 15 Jahren verhalten und in welchen ggf. einflussreichen Positionen sie dann ihre Haltungen umsetzen.

Schneemann