(WatchDogReport.org) – The White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates published a statement on April 21 in response to the encampment and the anti-Israel demonstrations at Columbia University. Bates said that he and the Biden administration believe that these protests are not only “unconscionable” but also deeply “antisemitic” and “dangerous.”
In the statement, Bates said that while every single American has the right “to peaceful protest,” there have been calls for “physical intimidation” and violence against American Jews in the anti-Israel demonstrations. He added that such an act of discrimination, which targets a minority group, cannot be tolerated.
Since the October 7 attacks perpetrated by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas on Israeli soil, which prompted a military response from the Israeli government in Gaza, many US universities have held pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests. While some of these have been peaceful, many have shown explicit acts and chants of antisemitism, with Jewish academics and students saying that they feel unsafe and that authorities aren’t doing anything to solve the situation.
Numerous reports have also shown that many demonstrators have even expressed support for Hamas and other Islamic terrorist groups while burning Israeli and American flags.
Bates also explained in the statement that it was a disgrace that many protesters were echoing the rhetoric of some groups, like Hamas or Hezbollah, in the wake of what was considered the worst attack that Jews have suffered since the Holocaust. He added that the White House strongly condemns these statements and every antisemitic attack committed in anti-Israel protests all around the country.
The massive anti-Israel protests at Columbia University started on April 17, with protesters setting up an anti-Israel encampment on the academic institution’s grounds. Jewish activists and public figures have said that while the Biden administration has expressed its condemnation against the antisemitic acts in the pro-Palestine protests, it hasn’t taken proper action to protect the Jewish community.
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