India’s “Right Balance” Remark on Pro-Palestine Protests at US Universities Amid Israel-Hamas War in Gaza

Pro-Palestine protests have spread to several campuses across the US. The protests are calling for divestment from Israel-linked entities and have led to universities moving to virtual classes and confrontations between students and the police. Amidst the protests, Mr. Jaiswal emphasized the need for a balance between freedom of expression, responsibility, and public safety in every democracy, especially in relation to other democracies.

He highlighted the importance of action at home over words abroad and committed to addressing any issues linked to Indian students. The White House has expressed support for free speech and debate on college campuses, while the protests denounce the increasing deaths in Gaza. The demonstrations have resulted in the arrest of over a hundred students for campus occupation, with Jewish students claiming antisemitism.

The protesting students are demanding a ceasefire to the war, an end to US military aid to Israel, and the withdrawal of university investments from arms suppliers and companies benefiting the war. At Columbia University, over 100 students were arrested, leading to the cancellation of in-person classes and a switch to virtual learning. Similar protests and arrests have occurred at other universities such as the University of Texas in Austin, the University of California in Los Angeles, and New York University.

Protests have also erupted at Yale, MIT, UC Berkeley, the University of Michigan, Harvard, and other top universities, where students have set up tents as part of an encampment exercise to protest the Gaza deaths. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the protests at US colleges as “horrific” and stated that “antisemitic mobs have taken over leading universities.”