In campuses across the United States, protests against Israel continue to escalate, with violent incidents even occurring. Commentator Lan Shu expressed that these anti-war protests have evolved into anti-Semitic movements and may expand to other ethnic groups, potentially shaking the very foundation of the United States.
At the University of California, Berkeley campus, an increasing number of protest tents have been gathering. On April 26th (last Friday), it was estimated that nearly a hundred tents were set up on the steps and surrounding areas of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley. By Monday (the 29th), the count had increased to around 150 tents.
Lan Shu pointed out that initially on October 7th last year, Hamas’s terrorist attacks did not receive much support. However, as Israel’s counter-terrorism military operations expanded, resulting in casualties among some Palestinian civilians, the anti-Israel voices began to grow.
He mentioned that while Hamas is considered a terrorist organization, many overlook that it is the elected government of Gaza and still receives support from Gaza taxpayers. Therefore, from this perspective, Gaza residents also bear some responsibility for the terrorist attacks by Hamas.
From a humanitarian perspective, Lan Shu emphasized that the Israeli military has a responsibility to minimize civilian casualties as much as possible. However, once in a state of war, it becomes difficult to avoid civilian casualties on both sides. Currently, the international community has exerted significant pressure on Israel to reduce civilian casualties. But why doesn’t Israel halt its ground offensive in Gaza due to this international pressure?
He cited an example from World War II, where the Allied forces did not cease their offensive upon reaching the borders of Japan, Germany, or Italy after the Axis powers initiated the war. The Allied forces knew that continuing the attack would result in civilian casualties, but until the final outcome of the war was determined, the fighting could not be halted.
While civilian casualties are unavoidable in war, both sides’ armies have a responsibility to make the utmost effort to minimize such losses.
Recently, anti-war protests at major universities in the United States have escalated, turning into acts of property destruction, disrupting public order, and directly targeting Jewish individuals in anti-Semitic activities. A video circulating on social media platform X showed a Jewish student at the University of California, Los Angeles campus being denied entry by pro-Palestinian students on April 29th during a class.
“This is targeting Jewish people rather than focusing on the war,” Lan Shu remarked. He highlighted that the protest activities on American campuses pose a threat to the safety of Jewish students. What started as protests against war and civilian casualties have now escalated into demonstrations against the Jewish community, amounting to racial discrimination, which is a highly dangerous phenomenon. If today’s campus protests target the Jewish community, tomorrow may see a shift towards other ethnic groups.
At a pro-Palestinian rally in UC Berkeley on April 26th, posters from the Communist Party of the United States were displayed: “Are you a communist? Organize!” “Our solution: Revolt! Revolution!”
According to Lan Shu’s observations, the organizers of pro-Palestinian and anti-war protests on campuses are mainly leftist groups. Leftist groups often advocate for “equality.” However, from the current discriminatory treatment towards the Jewish community by these leftist organizations, where is the equality they proclaim?
He pointed out that the anti-Semitic movements led by leftist organizations not only violate the spirit of the American Constitution but also contradict the core values of liberty and equality in the United States, standing in stark opposition to the principles of freedom and equality in America.
The Statue of Liberty in the United States symbolizes liberty and freedom. Lan Shu noted that translating “Statue of Liberty” directly into “自由女神像” in Chinese is problematic.
Because the term “Liberty” does not solely mean “freedom” but also connotes “enlightenment,” signifying the ability to create an environment of freedom. Therefore, the phrase “Liberty Statue” actually implies that the United States provides an environment of enlightened freedom, welcoming all individuals.
Lan Shu stated that the United States is a nation composed of immigrants. The remarkable aspect lies in the fact that the vast majority of Americans’ ancestors were not born in the United States, yet their love for America surpasses that of their countries of origin.
In this diverse family, America accommodates people from all around the world. Therefore, the leftist anti-Semitic movements completely betray the founding principles of the United States.
The protest activities at UC Berkeley were jointly initiated by groups such as the Black Student Union, Jewish Voice for Peace at UC Berkeley, and the Indigenous Graduate Student Association.
Their demands include universities condemning the war in Gaza, urging an immediate and permanent ceasefire; withdrawing all funds supporting Israeli military actions; ending academic cooperation with Israeli universities, providing more support for Palestinian students, including establishing Palestinian research projects.