Democratic Divide over Pro-Palestinian Campus Protestations Amid Antisemitism Concerns

College campus protests in favor of divesting from Israel on behalf of the pro-Palestinian movement have raised concerns among Democrats due to heated debates surrounding antisemitism. These demonstrations, which range from supporting individuals in Gaza to direct threats against Jews, are splitting responses by elected officials. While criticism of these protestors has become more frequent, some Democratic politicians have joined the cause out of solidarity with pro-Palestinians. This division among Democrats reflects a problem President Joe Biden is grappling with and could potentially lead to deeper issues regarding voters’ perception of the party’s ability to govern efficiently. As concerns arise around antisemitic events like the provocative images seen in Charlottesville, Virginia, during the 2017 white supremacist rally, some Jewish representatives have expressed their discontent over Democrats’ failure to react similarly as they did back then because of political inconvenience now. The House is set to vote on an Antisemitism Awareness Act sponsored by Republican Congressman Mike Lawler from New York this week; however, certain Democratic politicians are hesitant about endorsing the act’s antisemitic definition since it encompasses “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination” and comparing contemporary Israeli policies with Nazi ones. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), for example, recently visited Columbia University in New York City while asserting that they did not see the reported antisemitic events at this elite university or among its protest leaders’ central figures. This division within Democrats has left some Jewish student leaders questioning whether their party is truly committed to combating all forms of bigotry and intolerance, regardless of political affiliation.