Despite the best efforts of campuses’ Students for Justice in Palestine since Hamas’ October 7, 2023 assault against Israel, their “rage” just is not catching on among the public at large.
According to Sarah Lawrence College Professor Samuel Abrams at RealClear Education, “SJP has completely failed to build a coalition around their views and appears to have actually turned off the younger Americans.”
Not helping the group’s cause is the fact that less than 10 percent of Americans hold a “very favorable” or “favorable” opinion of Hamas. While more younger Americans view Hamas favorably, that number has dropped by half since Hamas’ initiation of the current conflict.
Even with SJP’s impressive coordination, their attempts to show that their repugnant views have widespread support on our college and university campuses has managed to fool very few; Americans see that the SJP messages are disgusting, dangerous, illiberal, anti-American, and anti-Semitic and these efforts are not creating much positive feelings or care for Hamas among younger Americans or Americans collectively whatsoever. …
When it comes to changing hearts and minds, college education has failed these SJP-aligned groups and their student members; none of them have learned anything about civility, debate, and persuasion based on ideas. Instead, SJP members think that threats, screaming at and harassing others, and playing the victim card will move policy and promote action …
And claiming trespassing and vandalism are “free speech” — like the San Francisco chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations did recently regarding pro-Hamas activists at Stanford University — is more likely to elicit guffaws than nods of agreement.
IMAGE CAPTION & CREDIT: Logo for Students for Justice in Palestine; social media
Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on Twitter
Add to the Discussion