When protesters block traffic, vandalize property, harass Jewish Americans, and chant slogans calling for the destruction of Israel, people stop listening. Those once open to persuasion harden their hearts not just to protesters but to the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. Bullying is not persuasive. The appearance of disorder and mayhem, moreover, strengthens the candidacy of former President Donald Trump. Party like it’s 1968; expect a hangover the morning of Nov. 6. Trump is far less sympathetic to Palestinians than President Joe Biden.
Since the first pro-Palestinian student protest broke out at Columbia University in New York in mid-April, more than 2,800 students, faculty, and activists on 50 college campuses have been arrested for trespassing, assaulting officers, vandalism, and other charges. On Denver’s Auraria campus (shared by the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State University, and the Community College of Denver), 40 protesters were recently arrested for trespassing and five more for assaulting officers. Pro-Palestinian student protests at Colorado State University, University of Colorado Boulder, and Colorado College have thus far not warranted police response.
People have the right to speak and gather in a peaceful and law-abiding manner on behalf of Palestinians and to draw attention to the destruction of Gaza, the disproportionate number of Palestinian deaths, and the dispossession of Palestinians from the land by Israeli settlers in the Occupied West Bank.
Some Americans are unaware that Palestinians, like Israelis, have roots in the land. Over the past four thousand years, this contested territory has been held by Canaanites, Hebrews, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, European crusaders, Arabs, Turks, and the British. The people who live there today, whether they speak Hebrew or Arabic, deserve our compassion and hope for peaceful coexistence.
Protesters, however, must elevate the cause of Palestinians without dehumanizing Israelis, demonizing American Jews, or minimizing the Oct.7 massacre that precipitated the war. Israel’s pursuit of Hamas terrorists is justified. They murdered more than 1,200 Israelis and abducted more than 250 civilians and soldiers. Soldiers are still searching for half of the hostages whose whereabouts remain unknown. Unless Hamas is destroyed, Israelis worry they will not be safe from a similar vicious attack in the future.
The war effort, however, has reduced Gaza’s cities to rubble and ended the lives of 30,000 Palestinians. The counterattack seems disproportionate and indiscriminate. Amid the ruins, families carry their children and few possessions from desolation to desolation. Who can look at their anguished faces and not feel there must be a better way to achieve justice and security?
However, it’s hard to imagine how erecting tent encampments, laying on the ground pretending to be dead at a “die-in for Palestine,” chanting antisemitic slogans, or worse, occupying buildings and harassing Jewish students garners sympathy for the displaced, the wounded, and the dead in Gaza. It is unlikely such antics will convince President Biden or Congress to pressure Israel into stopping its pursuit of Hamas. Even if they could convince U.S. politicians, Israel is a sovereign nation. Similarly, making universities cut financial ties with companies operating in Israel by occupying quad space is also unlikely. Universities should remain neutral while allowing students to take positions. Also, school will be out soon and no one will be around to hear the protest drums.
I’m not suggesting students and activists do nothing. Palestinians need people here who will give voice to their suffering. Having been involved in human rights advocacy for decades, I know changing hearts and minds takes place one conversation at a time. It’s slow work. Advocates cannot humanize the marginalized by marginalizing others, breaking things, or through intimidation. A message through a bullhorn is just noise.
Krista L. Kafer is a weekly Denver Post columnist. Follow her on Twitter: @kristakafer.
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