‘Squad’ members visit Columbia camp to show support for anti-Israel protesters
New York Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman, both members of “The Squad,” were seen on Friday mingling with anti-Israel agitators at Columbia University, where they offered support to those protesting the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza.
In a video shared on social media, a smiling Ocasio-Cortez can be seen speaking with individuals inside the encampment, expressing her solidarity with the protestors.
Images of Bowman also circulated on social media, showing the optimistic New York Democrat engaging with those participating in the encampment protest. His visit to the school followed his attendance at a Biden campaign fundraiser in Westchester County the previous evening, where he was acknowledged by the president for being present.
The visits by Ocasio-Cortez and Bowman to Columbia’s campus came one day after another influential member of the “The Squad,” Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar, visited the school to show her support for the students involved in the encampment protests against Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
Omar was accompanied by her daughter, Isra Hirsi, who had recently been suspended from Barnard College due to her involvement in anti-Israel demonstrations on Columbia’s campus.
The appearances by these progressive “Squad” Democrats come as several colleges and universities across the United States brace themselves for escalating anti-Israel protests sweeping the nation.
Ocasio-Cortez, a vocal advocate for students protesting Israel across U.S. campuses, condemned the use of police force on nonviolent student demonstrations, calling it escalatory, reckless, and dangerous in a recent social media post.
Her remarks come amidst chaos on Columbia’s campus, fueling concerns within the Jewish community for students’ safety. A rabbi even advised Jewish students to leave campus, stating that the NYPD could not guarantee their safety.
Meanwhile, anti-Israel protestors have been heard chanting inflammatory slogans like “Al-Qassam, you make us proud, kill another soldier now!” and “Burn Tel Aviv to the ground!”
Dozens of anti-Israel activists initiated demonstrations at Columbia University last week, sparking continued fiery protests on campus and at other educational institutions nationwide, some even calling for an intifada and the death of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Omar, whose stance on Israel has faced criticism from Republican colleagues in Congress, suggested that the Gaza cease-fire encampments at Columbia University were being misrepresented by public officials and media outlets.
She stated, “Throughout history, protests have been manipulated and portrayed negatively to justify their shutdown. This is what we are witnessing at Columbia University.”
Social media footage from the ongoing anti-Israel demonstration at Columbia’s campus depicts activists cheering on the deaths of Israeli soldiers and expressing support for Hamas. Jewish students have reported feeling unsafe on campus and shared harrowing accounts of verbal and physical assaults.
One student recounted being pushed, shoved, and hit with rocks, feeling that their life was in danger during the chaotic incident with no campus safety authorities present to intervene.
As tensions continue to escalate at Columbia University and other campuses nationwide, the involvement of prominent political figures like Ocasio-Cortez, Bowman, and Omar serves to highlight the complex and contentious nature of the ongoing anti-Israel protests gripping educational institutions across the United States.
