【明報專訊】THE WAR in Gaza has triggered a humanitarian disaster and provoked anti-war demonstrations in universities across the US. At Columbia University in New York, students have occupied a campus building. The police have conducted a clearance of the scene at the request of the university's management, making hundreds of arrests.
In October last year, the Israeli army invaded Gaza in retaliation for a Hamas surprise attack that killed more than a thousand people. The war has gone on for over half a year, and tens of thousands of Palestinians have lost their lives. The actions of the Israeli army, ranging from attacks on hospitals to ambushes on international humanitarian organisation workers, have been criticised repeatedly by the international community, and many people in the Islamic world are filled with righteous indignation. Even in Europe and the US, criticisms of Israel are becoming louder and louder. A recent Gallup survey has shown that Americans' support for Israel's military operations in Gaza has dropped significantly from 50% late last year to 36% now. As many as 55% of Americans disapprove of the Israeli army's actions.
Having lost the war of international public opinion, Israel has recently softened its position in ceasefire negotiations, but it has yet to make preparations for the withdrawal of its troops so as to end the war. Although Washington has made a gesture of actively brokering a ceasefire agreement, it has repeatedly sided with Israel in the Security Council of the United Nations (UN). UN Resolution 181 confirms Palestine's right to statehood. However, just last month the US used its veto power in the Security Council to prevent Palestine from becoming a full member of the UN.
With war raging on in Gaza, Palestinian lives are being mowed down like grass. In recent months, anti-war demonstrations have erupted in American universities. Students and anti-war activists have set up camp to support the Palestinians and condemn the Israeli army. The demonstrations at Columbia University in New York have attracted the most attention. After all, Columbia University was the main cradle of the anti-Vietnam War movement in the US more than half a century ago. During the anti-war student movement in 1968, Columbia University demonstrators occupied five campus buildings — including the president's office building and the library — for a week. In the end, the school called in the police to break up the demonstration. 700 students were arrested, and 150 were injured and hospitalised.
This time around, the anti-war demonstrations at Columbia University have developed in a similar manner. The campus building that demonstrators occupied in the early hours of Tuesday morning was exactly one of the buildings occupied during the movement against the Vietnam War. Some people formed a human chain outside the building to show that the protests were peaceful, rational and non-violent. But unlike that time, the university management has this time called in the police quickly to clear the scene. The mayor of New York has also stated that measures must be taken to stop the situation before it worsens further. On the evening of the same day, police used ladders to break into the building and conducted searches. The occupation was dispelled after less than a day. About a hundred people were arrested during the incident.
It has been a matter of contention for many years whether there is an organised "Jewish lobby" in the US. However, the influence of Zionists within the political and business establishment cannot be ignored. Furthermore, many American universities have investments in American military industry giants in their fund portfolios. Anti-war activists' demand that universities say no to arms manufacturers is reasonable and measured, and the truth should not be distorted.
明報社評2024.05.02：高校反戰示威遭打壓 美國建制袒護以色列
加沙戰事引發人道災難，美國多所高校都有反戰示威，紐約哥倫比亞大學學生佔領校園大樓，警員應校方要求清場，拘捕上百人。
去年10月以軍攻入加沙，報復哈馬斯突襲殺死上千人，戰事持續逾半年，數以萬計巴勒斯坦人死亡，由攻擊醫院到狙擊國際人道組織人員，以軍所作所為，屢惹國際抨擊，伊斯蘭世界不少人義憤填膺，即使在歐美，批評以色列的聲音亦愈來愈響。蓋洛普近期調查顯示，美國人對以色列在加沙的軍事行動，支持度比去年底顯著下跌，由五成跌至36%，多達55%美國人不認同以軍的行動。
以色列輸掉國際輿論戰，近期對停火談判的立場略有放軟，惟未見以軍準備收兵結束戰事；雖然華府擺出積極斡旋停火的姿態，但在聯合國安理會上，還是一再站在以色列一邊。聯合國大國第181號決議，確立了巴勒斯坦立國的權利，然而美國上月便在安理會運用否決權，阻止巴勒斯坦成為聯合國正式成員。
加沙戰火漫天，巴人命如草芥。近月美國高校紛紛出現反戰示威，學生和反戰人士紮營聲援巴人，譴責以軍，當中又以紐約哥大的示威最受關注，畢竟半個世紀多之前的美國反越戰運動，哥大正是主要搖籃。1968年反戰學潮，哥大示威者佔領5幢校園大樓，包括校長辦公樓及圖書館，前後為時一周，最後校方找來警方驅散示威，事件中700學生被捕、150人受傷送院。
今次哥大的反戰示威，事態發展亦頗有相似之處。示威者周二凌晨佔領的校園大樓，正是當年反越戰時其中一幢被佔領的大樓，部分人則在大樓外築成人鏈，標榜示威和平理性非暴力。惟有別於當年，校方今回迅速找來警方清場，紐約市長也表明，必須在事態「進一步惡化前」出手阻止。同日晚上警方爬梯進入大樓，破門入房搜查，佔領行動不足一天便瓦解，事件中約百人被捕。
有關美國是否存在一股有組織的「猶太財閥游說勢力」，多年來爭議不休，但支持猶太復國主義者在政商建制內的影響力，確也不容忽視。另外，不少美國高校的基金組合，都有投資於美國軍工巨企。反戰示威要求校方向戰爭機器說不，有理有節，真相不應被扭曲。
■/ Glossary 生字 /
mow somebody down : to kill large numbers of people at the same time, especially by shooting them
cradle : the place where something important began
distort : to twist or change facts, ideas, etc. so that they are no longer correct or true