WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Biden administration has strongly condemned the recent pro-Palestinian student takeover of a building at Columbia University, denouncing their use of the word “intifada” as hate speech.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates stated, “President Biden condemns the use of the term ‘intifada’ and any other hate speech. Protests must be peaceful and lawful, and forcibly taking over buildings is unacceptable. Hate speech and symbols have no place in America.”
Police intervened on Tuesday night to remove and arrest the students who had occupied Hamilton Hall as part of a pro-Palestinian encampment, demanding Columbia University to divest from Israel. The students displayed a banner with the word “Intifada,” a term commonly associated with Palestinian uprisings against Israel.
The second intifada, which took place in the early 2000s, resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,000 Israelis in a series of terror attacks. Calls to “globalize the intifada” at pro-Palestinian protests have been condemned as antisemitic by Jewish organizations.
Jewish watchdogs have expressed concerns about the safety of Jewish students due to the student encampments, citing instances of harassment and calls for violence against them. The Biden administration has also condemned such behavior, stating that it is blatantly antisemitic and has no place on college campuses or in the United States.
President Biden, who has been a staunch supporter of Israel, is facing pressure from within his party to push for a ceasefire and hold Israel accountable for its actions during the recent conflict with Hamas. Republicans, on the other hand, see a political opportunity in the divisions within the Democratic Party and the rise of anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses.