Students in the Palestinian enclave say they are closely monitoring the protests and feeling inspired by their American peers. Protests against Israel’s assault on Gaza have shook college campuses across the United States and prompted condemnation from Israeli leaders.
Before October 7, Reem Musa Suleiman Abu Shinar studied law. “I feel pleased that there is a group of students that feel what we feel now— and are helping and supporting us,” Abu Shinar said. In the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where she and her family are seeking refuge along with over a million others before an anticipated Israeli ground assault, she was speaking with an NBC News crew.
The 23-year-old Abu Shinar was not the only one to praise American college students; over the weekend, children and university students in Gaza came together to write messages of gratitude across tents in Rafah as a way of thanking the demonstrators.
The north of Gaza also learned about the encampments at American colleges, and 22-year-old medical student Ezz Lulu encouraged students to “keep fighting for what’s right.”
“You are having an impact,” he remarked.
The protests, which picked up steam on Tuesday, have spread throughout American universities in response to growing international condemnation of Israel’s policies in Gaza, where over 34,000 people have been killed in over six months of conflict, according to health officials.
However, some of the protests have also sparked accusations of antisemitism, which Jewish organizations claim has increased since the attacks on October 7 that were led by Hamas and resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the kidnapping of about 250 more. The accusation has been refuted by student protestors, who argue that accusations of antisemitism are being used against them as a means of discrediting their critiques of Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
Although the protests stir up controversy in the United States, many in Gaza find them moving.
From the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, Abu Shinar studied human rights law at Israa University in Gaza a little over six months ago. She was determined to make a difference in her community and become a force for good.
After Israel began its attack on Gaza, her dreams came to an abrupt halt. In January, she witnessed them come crashing down when the Israeli military destroyed her school.
According to Abu Shinar, the sight of thousands of American students setting up makeshift camps and demanding that their schools pull out of Israel and any businesses that might be benefiting from the conflict was powerful.
She did, however, express concern for the students’ academic futures.
She declared, “I do not want any student to be suspended from education. My educational career stopped because of the war.”
On April 17, a student-led encampment and calls for the college to divest from companies profiting from the war and an end to Israel’s assault on Gaza marked the beginning of the protests in the United States.
Since then, encampments have appeared at Sciences Po in Paris, the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, and the campuses of at least twenty colleges nationwide.
Overnight, demonstrators at Columbia University stormed and occupied Hamilton Hall, renaming it “Hind Hall” in honor of six-year-old Hind Rajab, who was killed in Israel’s Gaza offensive after making a heartbreaking plea for assistance in phone calls with first responders. They also flew a Palestinian flag from the building’s windows.
When students failed to vacate their encampment by Monday at 2 p.m., the prestigious university began suspending them.
While many universities support free speech and permit protests on campus, they have declared that encampments are against school policy.
A 21-year-old clinical psychology student at Israa University named Abdallah Abujaser expressed his dismay upon learning that hundreds of students had been arrested in the United States. He declared, “We have the right to object to anything we do not like.”
“Everyone is equal,” he continued. “We have the right to live in safety and the right to study.”
Lulu expressed his disappointment at the harsh disciplinary measures being implemented at American colleges. “The students should feel secure and shouldn’t be prevented from conveying their views,” he stated.
Abujaser said he felt a fresh hope for humanity after witnessing the protests on American campuses. He had previously talked about his anguish after witnessing his school destroyed in interviews with NBC News.
He sent a message to students rallying from Rafah, where he and his family are seeking refuge, saying, “Thank you for the humanity within you.”
Before the war broke out, Aya Salama, a 21-year-old student studying English language and translation at Al-Azhar University, was scheduled to graduate this spring. She expressed her hope that protestors at American colleges would “stay strong and continue these protests.”
According to Salama, there are “double standards” in place given the increasing number of reports of student arrests and suspensions. “If they performed those protests for Ukraine or any European country, we would witness another reaction for them,” she stated.
However, she stated, “These protests have given us the belief that our voice is heard and that there is individuals who care about the genocide that’s happening in Gaza.”
The International Court of Justice has mandated that Israel stop its forces from carrying out acts of genocide in Gaza, a claim that Israel has called “outrageous.” The United States has denied the charge as well.
While Abu Shinar expressed her hope that students would continue to show support, she cautioned them to “be careful.”
She said that today’s college students might grow up to be the legislators and leaders who influence Palestinians’ future. “We acknowledge this assistance, but also pay close attention to your educational journey in order that you can help us later,” she continued.
“You are our hope.”