College Democrat group backs anti-Israel protests, denounce 'MAGA Republicans' for smearing demonstrators
College Democrats of America, the official student arm of the Democratic Party, have criticized the Biden administration's policy towards the war in Gaza while praising the anti-Israel protesters on college campuses who they say have been wrongly labeled as hateful by certain politicians and MAGA Republicans.
In a statement released on Tuesday following the overnight capture of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, the group described agitators as "heroic" for their actions as dozens of colleges came under siege by Palestinian flag-carrying demonstrators who are calling for a ceasefire in the war and for their respective universities to divest from Israel.
"Since the beginning of this conflict, College Democrats and students from every walk of life have had the moral clarity to see this war for what it is: destructive, genocidal, and unjust," the statement released by the group’s executive board reads. The statement was written largely by the organization’s Muslim Caucus, The New York Times reports.
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"We commend the bravery of students across the country who have been willing to endure arrests, suspension, and threats of expulsion to stand up for the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people."
"The end of the conflict and release of hostages is a goal we should all share as Americans in pursuit of a more just international community."
The group says it also denounced an uptick in both antisemitism and Islamophobia in colleges but added that the calling for the freedom of Palestinians is not antisemitic "and neither is opposing the genocidal acts of the far-right radical extremist Israeli government."
"We condemn those politicians, like MAGA Republicans and many other lawmakers for smearing all protesters as hateful; when according to reports, the overwhelming majority of protests are peaceful; we’ve witnessed the celebration of Passover, protection of those praying, as well as beautiful singing and dancing for peace together," the group added. "Our position is clear: we stand with those protesting for peace and we find all calls for violence, such as those against Jewish and Muslim students, wrong; those spreading hate have no place in the movement for peace."
The statement came after a chaotic night at Columbia University where Hamilton Hall, an academic building used by the dean and other senior offices, was taken over by an angry mob who renamed the building "Hind's Hall" by placing a banner over the facility. Hind Rajab was a 6-year-old who died during Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, per a statement apparently from the group that was posted on X.
A wave of anti-Israel protests has swept U.S. college campuses and dozens of arrests have been made at Columbia, Harvard, Yale and the University of Texas at Austin.
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College Democrats of America took aim at President Biden for not aggressively pursuing a ceasefire with the high death toll in Israel’s war on Hamas drawing international condemnation. Israel is seeking to eradicate the Palestinian terror group after it took some 240 people captive during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel which killed around 1,200 Israelis.
The college group warned Biden about the influence it and its voting block holds ahead of this year’s presidential election. While they said they would support Biden’s re-election, they added that they reserve the right to criticize their own party "when it fails to represent youth voices."
"As young voters, we are well aware that come November, our votes will determine who wins the White House," the statement reads.
"The White House has taken the mistaken route of a bear hug strategy for Netanyahu and a cold shoulder strategy for its own base and all Americans who want to see an end to this war. Each day that Democrats fail to stand united for a permanent ceasefire, two-state solution, and recognition of a Palestinian state, more and more youth find themselves disillusioned with the party."
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Biden has called for a temporary cease-fire but has said previously that the U.S. doesn’t have a "red line" with Israel over its actions in the war. In recent weeks, Biden has harshly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the way he is prosecuting the war but has continued to provide weapons to Israel without conditions.
Biden says he supports an eventual two-state solution, which the College Democrats called for on Tuesday.
Hasan Pyarali, the chair of the group's Muslim Caucus, told the New York Times that dissatisfaction with Biden’s Israel policy had been simmering for some time, but Columbia’s decision to call the police to break up the campus protest and arrest participants is what motivated them to speak out.