The ongoing war in Gaza has led to tensions between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups on college campuses.
Officials in US
President Joe Biden's administration have sounded the alarm over a rise in
anti-Semitism at US universities and plan to meet with American Jewish leaders
to discuss measures to combat the rise.
The ongoing war
between Israel and Hamas has led to tensions between pro-Israel and
pro-Palestinian groups on college campuses.
Last week, the
Anti-Defamation League reported a nearly 400 percent increase in overall U.S.
anti-Semitic incidents since Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked southern Israel and
Israel began bombing the besieged Gaza Strip.
About 190 of
the 312 incidents between October 7 and October 23 were related to war.
On October 7,
Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, breaching the Israeli security
barrier around Gaza. According to Israeli officials, at least 1,400 people were
killed and more than 200 were taken hostage in the attack.
Since the
attack, Israel has carried out devastating bombings and imposed a "total
siege" on Gaza. According to Gaza authorities, more than 8,000 people have
been killed in the Israeli attack.
Amid rising
death tolls and warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe from UN officials and
aid agencies, tens of thousands of people have held protests around the world
to call for a ceasefire.
Douglas Emhof,
husband of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, will join Education Secretary
Miguel Cardona and other officials to discuss how the Biden administration
might respond.
A White House
official said Monday's meeting will focus on actions the administration is
taking "to address the alarming increase in reported instances of
anti-Semitism on campus." Jewish leaders include representatives from the
campus Jewish organization Hillel, the Anti-Defamation League and the National
Council of Jewish Women, the official added.
Over the
weekend, threats were posted online to Jewish students at Cornell University in
Ithaca, New York, and the Cornell Center for Jewish Living, according to the
student newspaper and the campus Hillel group.
The FBI said it
was aware of threats made at Cornell.
In a statement,
the FBI said, "We take all threats seriously and are working closely with
Cornell and our law enforcement partners at all levels to determine the
credibility, information can be shared, and appropriate investigative action
can be taken."
Meanwhile, the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said last week that it had
received 774 complaints of incidents of Islamophobia and prejudice against
Palestinians and Arabs since October 7. This is the highest level since 2015,
the group said.
Last Thursday,
Biden hosted a meeting with a handful of Muslim leaders, a White House official
said, adding that administration officials are continuing to meet with members
of the Arab and Muslim community about the conflict and its implications.
(Courtesy: Al-Jazeera)
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