Every single university and college in Gaza has been bombed and destroyed. An entire generation of future doctors, engineers, and artists are lost now due to either death or lack of access to education. Meanwhile, many American universities have been using their students’ tuition money to invest in weapons companies that have been arming the Israeli forces. Understandably, that has left a sour taste in a lot of college students’ mouths. They’ve gone thousands of dollars into debt for their education and they have no say in how that money is spent. This has led them to occupy their campuses in protest. They’re calling for a divestment of university funds from the weapons companies towards relevant causes, such as student education. Many people have been discrediting this protest because some of these students have spray painted walls, broken some windows, and occupied buildings. In my opinion, if you’re more angry over a replaceable object than you are over the deaths of civilians (1,400 Israelis and 35,000 Palestinians) then you need to reassess your priorities.
I interviewed someone with a connection to Palestine, senior Zayna Corey, in order to share a meaningful perspective on the situation.
Q: What is your connection to Palestine?
A: My mother’s parents were born there and had to leave during the Nakba(The forced displacement of 750,000 Palestinians by Israel. By the end of the Nakba, 15,000 Palestinians were dead and Israel had overtaken 78% of their land).
Q: What does a free Palestine mean to you?
A: A free Palestine is an end to the Israeli apartheid regime. As long as Israel exists as it does today, Palestinians cannot live with basic rights.
Q: What do you think about the sentiment that zionism is equal to antisemitism?
A: I think it is completely untrue and a propagandist tool. Zionism is the support of the establishment of Israel as it is today, which has involved taking and occupying Palestinian land. Israel cannot exist without Palestinian suffering, which is why many people are anti-zionist – including many Jewish people.
Q: Why do you think this is such an important issue to young voters? Do you see this impacting the upcoming presidential election?
A: Young people are still learning their place in the world and how they can change it. They grew up with dystopian novels like ‘The Hunger Games’ which, as absurd as it seems, has numerous connections with the current situation in Gaza. A genocide is taking place for the whole world to see, and if America does nothing to change it, young voters will do everything in their power to get zionists out of office.