Hamas, short for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (Islamic Resistance Movement), stands as the largest and most capable militant group in Palestinian-controlled territories. Additionally, it functions as one of the two major Palestinian political parties.

Primarily operative in Gaza, Hamas, is alleged to be funded and trained by the Shiite Republic of Iran and was founded in 1987 at the beginning of the first Palestinian Intifada (uprising), with its roots in the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Hamas and Israel have been engaged in five conflicts, including the brutal attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023 on the Israeli mainland. The ongoing conflict has so far claimed the lives of at least 1,200 Israelis and more than 10,000 Palestinians.

The reverberations of Hamas’s terrorist attack were felt quite vociferously on American campuses, where the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has consistently been a subject of fiery discussion.

Demonstrations on US campuses, initially starting as vigils, escalated into incidents of vitriol and violence.

For instance, at Cornell University, a student was arrested for allegedly threatening to “slit the throat” of Jewish students, on an online discussion board. Another incident at Drexel University involved a Jewish student whose dorm room door was set ablaze. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Cooper Union in New York banged on windows and doors of a library with Jewish students inside. And at Tulane University, a melee with demonstrators left a Jewish student with a broken nose.

Universities become flashpoints in US

Antisemitic sentiments have had a historical presence in esteemed American universities. The establishment of Brandeis University as the “Jewish Harvard” attests to this reality, originating from a time when Jewish admission to such institutions was challenging.

However, recent weeks have witnessed an intensification of this trend, resulting in profound repercussions. This occurred even before a group of predominantly Jewish business figures announced a cessation of donations and issued warnings that they would refrain from hiring university graduates involved in antisemitic violent demonstrations against Israel.

New York-based Cornell University is an Ivy League institution with a rich history and throughout its existence has maintained a commitment to co-education and non-sectarian principles, ensuring that admission remains unrestricted by considerations of religion or race. Strength-wise, of the approximately 25,000 students, around 25 percent hail from 50 countries, with the maximum from China, Brazil and Germany. Israeli students form a small number.

Since Cornell is a private institution, it receives aid both from the government and philanthropists. Students there get comprehensive financial support for their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, which include a blend of competitive internal and external fellowships, and opportunities for research and teaching assistantships.

Besides Cornell, many other top-notch institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, New York University and Stanford University, among others, receive either donations or aid from business houses and billionaires who have now threatened to pull donations or cancel paychecks, while also demanding either the apology or expulsion of students who took part in anti-Israel protests on campus.

These include World Jewish Congress president and heir to the Estée Lauder fortune Ronald Lauder, investor Jonathan Jacobson, venture capitalist David Magerman, hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman, L Brands founder Leslie Wexner, Apollo Global Management’s Marc Rowan and the law firm Davis Polk.

Equally important is that these educational institutions also boast a significant presence of Jewish and Israeli professors and doctoral students, particularly renowned for their excellence in science and medicine.

The competition for these exceptional minds extends not only to American universities but also to academic institutions in Israel.

Given the current circumstances, it is plausible that many may now contemplate returning to Israel after the conflict, even if it entails less favourable economic conditions. This prospect serves as a potential response to antisemitic undercurrents, with the added possibility that future Nobel Prizes, which the Jewish populations disproportionately contribute to, might be attributed to Israel rather than the United States.

Gulf funding

Post 9/11 attacks, Qatar reportedly emerged as the primary foreign contributor to American academia, often without transparent disclosure. A study from the Institute for Anti-Semitism Studies revealed a direct correlation between donation amounts and the presence of pro-Palestinian groups on university campuses, according to one report.

This matter failed to garner much attention until 7 October 2023, as funds continued to flow through conventional channels smoothly, but a 2022 study by the National Association of Scholars in the US, which initially received limited attention, suddenly sprung up after the Hamas attack, disclosing that between 2001 and 2021, in the aftermath of 9/11, Qatar made substantial donations totalling $4.7 billion to US universities.

The focus of this study was not on Qatari financial support to the Gaza Strip but rather its less predictable destination — American academia. The study also revealed that some recipients allegedly failed to report a portion of the funds they received, contravening legal reporting requirements.

In the United States, the notion of enhancing collaboration with Qatar and securing donations to establish branches of esteemed American universities was initially seen as a means to extend soft power.

However, in practice, it has yielded contrary results. Leveraging its substantial financial resources, Qatar is effectively paving the way for an expansion of its influence across diverse fields and geographical regions.

Prominent American universities, including Cornell, Georgetown, Northwestern, and Carnegie Mellon, reportedly received substantial funding from Qatar. As a result, these institutions established branches in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Cornell inaugurated a medical school with a budget of $121.7 million, while Georgetown obtained $59.5 million.

In the past decade of globalisation, instances like this were not uncommon.

The Technion, for example, also received a donation from the Chinese billionaire Li Ka-shing to establish a branch.

However, in the case of Qatar, a substantial portion of the donations is attributed to the Qatar Foundation, a non-profit established by the Qatari government in 1995 to promote education and science in the country.

Given this context, premier academic institutions, according to one report, faced the necessity to make “adjustments” in their branches located in the ‘Education City’ on the outskirts of Doha. Such “adjustments” included actions like removing certain overly liberal books from the reading list or entering into cooperation agreements, such as Northwestern’s journalism school partnering with media outlets like Al Jazeera, which was founded by the Qatari government.

In 2020, a study conducted by ISGAP (The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy), suggested a clear link between the level of donations originating from Qatar and other Persian Gulf countries and the emergence of pro-Palestinian groups on college campuses, notably led by SJP (Students for Justice in Palestine).

At certain universities, SJP groups orchestrated protests and “days of rage” as early as 8 October, even preceding significant Israeli operations in Gaza.

Genesis

Often pro-Palestine sentiments among students are connected to Left-leaning communist tendencies, as it finds echo in communism for its various traits like social justice, idealism, criticism of social inequality, anti-capitalism and imperialism, intellectual discovery and interest in history, all of which find favour and appeal among university students.

Universities are diverse environments with a wide range of perspectives. Support for various causes can stem from academic freedom, differing interpretations of events, or a desire to amplify marginalised voices. It’s crucial to recognise that not all students or faculty necessarily endorse a particular ideology and opinions within academic communities can be diverse.

Ideological influence

The dissemination of ideas can permeate various channels, encompassing academic discourse, social media, and geopolitical events. Individuals supportive of a cause might be attracted to what they interpret as a resistance movement combating perceived injustices, while others may express sympathy for the historical and social context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Perception management & media coverage

Media coverage holds substantial sway in shaping public opinion. Diverse media outlets may present information from different perspectives, influencing individuals’ perceptions of events. Following the 7 October attack, the media’s depiction of the situation could significantly contribute to the formation of opinions and garner public support.

Activism & advocacy

Engagement in activism and advocacy serves as a driving force in shaping narratives and rallying support. Groups advocating for the Palestinian cause, as an illustration, actively work towards raising awareness and building support for their objectives.

Movements of global solidarity

Occurrences on the global stage have the potential to evoke demonstrations of solidarity. Worldwide movements can shape individuals’ viewpoints, leading them to identify with particular causes. To grasp the reasons behind backing any ideology, a nuanced exploration of historical, political, and cultural contexts is imperative. Engaging in open and respectful dialogue becomes crucial for comprehending diverse perspectives on intricate geopolitical matters.

Communism & the Free Speech movement

With the liberal Left gradually getting Islamised, it is important to note that the phenomenon of communism permeating universities dates back to the days of the Second World War when pro-Soviet brainwashed students were instigated into spying for the Soviet Union, be it the Cambridge University spy ring formed by the five-student group led by the infamous Kim Philby.

Post-war turmoil within occupied Japan escalated in violence as a result of communist agitations. Marxism gained popularity among students, and professors who had been removed during the war for their Marxist views, returned as heroes. With Japan facing a worsening food shortage, student activism took on a more radical tone. The infiltration of communism into universities prompted the military to take over, resulting in the dismissal of all communist professors to safeguard academic freedom.

The most famous student movement in the 1960s, which echoed from the US to Communist Germany, was the resistance against the Vietnam War, growing on college campuses for an extended period when, on 18 October 1967, students at UW–Madison gathered to demonstrate against the recruiting activities of the Dow Chemical Company on campus. This company was known for producing napalm, a flammable gel utilised in Vietnam by the US government.

In the 1970s, the Soweto uprising, more famously called the Soweto riots, marked a sequence of demonstrations and protests initiated by black schoolchildren in South Africa during the apartheid era.

The birth of the Free Speech Movement at the University of California, Berkeley and the formation of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at the University of Michigan in the 1960s was all about criticism of the US administration’s foreign policy during the Cold War, by the student community. In East Germany, student resistance movements critical of capitalist nations had movies made on them in the 1960s.

Chinese funding & Confucius Institutes

Soon after the Hamas attack, a Harvard University controversy made headlines, when an open statement by the students was issued, accusing Israel of the attacks, resulting in Claudine Gay, the newly inaugurated president of the university, who became the first Black leader in Harvard’s history, a month before the attacks in September, coming under pressure to retract the statement, as donors threatened to cease funds.

At Harvard, another document supported by numerous students, alumni, and certain faculty members emerged. This second document characterised the first pro-Palestinian statement as “completely wrong and deeply offensive,” urging those who endorsed it to retract their names. Bill Ackman personally showed displeasure with the earlier statement.

A couple of years ago, Harvard was in the news over Chinese funding, after it was reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s daughter studied at Harvard. This brought attention to the Harvard China Fund, which according to its official website, “supports teaching and research about China across all departments and schools at Harvard University and promotes Harvard’s presence and activities in China”.

Since 2013, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has emerged as one of the primary contributors of foreign donations to US universities.

It may be noted that Xi Jinping became the Chinese President in 2013 and that the tuition from Chinese students is valued at approximately $12 billion annually. At the same time, contributions or contracts from Chinese sources to US universities have exceeded $426 million since 2011.

Attention has been focused on a category of educational initiatives in the United States known as Confucius Institutes (CIs) — nonprofit entities operating within American universities but financially supported by the Chinese government. Since 2004, approximately a hundred Confucius Institutes have been established in the US, featuring diverse teams of instructors, professors, and administrators from both China and America.

Opinions regarding Confucius Institutes have been diverse.

Some US government officials and academics regarded them as valuable tools for learning the Chinese language and culture, seen as potential remedies for escalating tensions and mistrust between nations.

However, vocal groups of China watchers and lawmakers held contrasting views. They contended that Confucius Institutes extended Chinese power and influence globally, promoted pro-CCP perspectives, exerted influence on American students, and constrained academic freedom.

Reportedly, the Biden administration has to date resisted the Republican congressional members seeking advancement of the Trump administration’s proposition of requiring universities to disclose their contracts with Confucius Institutes (CIs).

This is in contrast to the endorsement by Biden’s CIA director, William Burns, for the closure of these institutes.

Although the closure of CIs has not necessarily depended on formal bans.

Since 2018, spurred by legislative initiatives led by senators like Ted Cruz, many university administrations, sensing the pressure, have voluntarily opted to shut down their Confucius Institutes. According to the National Association of Scholars, CIs in the US have significantly reduced by more than 70 percent from their peak just a few years ago.

The atmosphere on American campuses is likely to intensify in the coming days, with Israel having pledged to eliminate Hamas in retaliation for the deadliest attack carried out by Palestinian militants in Israeli history.

Asha Jadeja is a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur, venture capitalist, philanthropist and a ‘change agent’. She tweets @ashajadeja325. Views are personal.

Photo: People hold anti-semitic symbols and signs, as they protest outside the Tampa Convention Center where Turning Point USA’s (TPUSA) Student Action Summit (SAS) is being held, in Tampa, Florida, U.S. July 23, 2022. REUTERS/Marco Bello