Does Someone Need to Die?

 

As a Jew and an engaged citizen, I’ve been uneasily following the pro-Palestinian protests across the country. Even with the summer break, protests continue, violence continues, and the legal and administrative responses to them have been useless, inconsistent and hypocritical. I thought it might be a good idea to study the state of these conflicts, since I anticipate they will increase and become even more intense with the coming fall semester.

Although some half-hearted efforts have been made to authorize punishments against protestors, most of the responses have been ineffective, in spite of the continual violence. Violence occurs in the form of destroying property, defacing statues and buildings, and destroying school or government property (burning flags), along with other activities:

‘Destroying property is not a peaceful protest, it’s against the law,’ Biden said. ‘Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduation, none of this is a peaceful protest.’

And yet from the start, destruction has been downplayed, and excuses have been made for not identifying perpetrators, although there have been some arrests. But many of those arrested have been released only to renew their efforts through these protests. Some students have been suspended, but have been reinstated by their schools. Others have received threats of disciplinary action, but the data on follow-through is limited.

As if violence were not enough, students have demanded that schools divest from their investments with Israel and insist on creating campus encampments. (I’d wager that they haven’t made those threats against the Palestinian businesses in Gaza.) The obscene truth is that the schools are giving in to these demands and are rewarding the protestors:

Northwestern University, Brown University and Rutgers University are among colleges that have reached deals to disband camps. Brown will hold a vote on possible divestment from firms connected with Israel. Rutgers agreed to set up an Arab cultural center and look into creation of a Middle East studies department.

Part of the problem is that these agreements send the message that the protestors have legitimate demands and that the universities are unwilling to stand up to them. How far will the protestors go in making their demands before the authorities act to stop them?

Does someone need to die?

The media have to a great extent identified that these protests are being funded by outside forces, including George Soros and Iran. But much of the funding is coming from entities in our own country:

Another notable Democratic donor whose philanthropy has helped fund the protest is David Rockefeller Jr., who sits on the board of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. It has given nearly $500,000 directly to Jewish Voice for Peace, which explicitly describes itself as anti-Zionist, over the past five years. Rockefeller Brothers has separately given grants to both the Tides Foundation and the Tides Center.

Several other groups involved in pro-Palestinian protests are backed by a foundation funded by Susan and Nick Pritzker, heir to the Hyatt Hotel empire — and supporters of Biden and numerous Democratic campaigns, including $6,600 to the Biden Victory Fund a few months ago and more than $300,000 during the 2020 campaign.

Now that Kamala Harris will be the new Democrat candidate for President, it looks like she will be even more vocal than Biden in condemning Netanyahu and Israel, which will only provide more fuel for these angry protests:

On Thursday, Harris told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a White House meeting she would not ‘be silent’ on the ‘dire humanitarian situation.’

‘What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating. The images of dead children and desperate hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time,’ Harris said. ‘We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering and I will not be silent.’

I wonder if she will have anything to say to Hamas?

*     *     *     *

Do we have any outcomes that we can look forward to in the next several months that will turn down the temperature and encourage the pro-Palestinian protestors to pull back? I’m skeptical.

Let’s remember that the protestors are not just angry with the Israelis, but also furious at the Jews. Any Jews. And even if a truce is reached in Gaza, tensions will be high and skepticism will abound. My guess is that any truce that is agreed to will be violated, since it’s questionable whether Hamas really wants to end the conflict; it’s clear they don’t want a two-state solution. In addition, there are uneasy questions about whether hostages will be released and how many are alive.

For now, we can hope that Kamala Harris will limit her inflammatory rhetoric, that positive decisions begin to emerge from Gaza, and that an end to the protests here might be in sight.

If you are interested in seeing a dashboard that tracks protests across the country, you can go here.

Published in Domestic Policy
This post was promoted to the Main Feed at the recommendation of Ricochet members. Like this post? Want to comment? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

There are 44 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. Susan Quinn Member
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    If you think I’m being hyperbolic, The Free Press had an update:

    Last week, NYU’s Palestine Solidarity Committee rebranded as the People’s Solidarity Coalition and announced a new mission hinting that they are prepared to use violence in their fight to “dismantle” the college’s “involvement in settler-colonial occupation, genocide and imperial wars.”

    The group went on to state that they ‘recognize and welcome the diversity of tactics that lead to victory,’ including ‘armed struggle, non-violent direct action, cultural production, and world building.’ The group declared it will ‘not condemn the brave actions of our allies nor will we limit ourselves to resistance through organizational means.’

    Their new goals include attacking the United States.

    • #1
  2. Paul Stinchfield Member
    Paul Stinchfield
    @PaulStinchfield

     

    • #2
  3. EODmom Coolidge
    EODmom
    @EODmom

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    If you think I’m being hyperbolic, The Free Press had an update:

    Last week, NYU’s Palestine Solidarity Committee rebranded as the People’s Solidarity Coalition and announced a new mission hinting that they are prepared to use violence in their fight to “dismantle” the college’s “involvement in settler-colonial occupation, genocide and imperial wars.”

    The group went on to state that they ‘recognize and welcome the diversity of tactics that lead to victory,’ including ‘armed struggle, non-violent direct action, cultural production, and world building.’ The group declared it will ‘not condemn the brave actions of our allies nor will we limit ourselves to resistance through organizational means.’

    Their new goals include attacking the United States.

    Israel has been the excuse. The Republic is the primary target. See the full throated communist march in Philadelphia this weekend. Who knew there were that many (pretty much pale faced) people in Philadelphia anymore. 
    https://x.com/EYakoby/status/1817731127672779239

    • #3
  4. MWD B612 "Dawg" Member
    MWD B612 "Dawg"
    @danok1

    Susan Quinn:

    How far will the protestors go in making their demands before the authorities act to stop them?

    Does someone need to die?

    Not sure if even that would move the authorities. Recall that in the Summer of Floyd riots, people died (notably a St. Louis retired police captain) there were no crackdowns. I think the same will happen in the Summer/Fall of Hamas-lovers.

    I hate living in interesting times.

    • #4
  5. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    If they kill someone it will be like blood in the water for sharks. They will go crazy for more.

    • #5
  6. Susan Quinn Member
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    MWD B612 "Dawg" (View Comment):
    hate living in interesting times

    So do I.

    • #6
  7. Susan Quinn Member
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    MWD B612 "Dawg" (View Comment):
    Not sure if even that would move the authorities

    Maybe if it’s one of theirs? Not wishing for it…

    • #7
  8. DonG (CAGW is a Scam) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Scam)
    @DonG

    Susan Quinn: legal and administrative responses to them has been useless

    This is a feature, not a bug.  The Lefties running cities and universities like having their violent storm troops causing trouble and harassing anyone that does not comply with Leftist thinking.   It will just get worse until the Leftists are removed from power and Leftist thinking is once again not tolerated.   Free-minded people have no obligation to tolerate intolerance.   Leftists should be treated by their standards, not ours. 

    • #8
  9. Susan Quinn Member
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    DonG (CAGW is a Scam) (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn: legal and administrative responses to them has been useless

    This is a feature, not a bug. The Lefties running cities and universities like having their violent storm troops causing trouble and harassing anyone that does not comply with Leftist thinking. It will just get worse until the Leftists are removed from power and Leftist thinking is once again not tolerated. Free-minded people have no obligation to tolerate intolerance. Leftists should be treated by their standards, not ours.

    We can hope we’ll take over at the national level. But what about all the blue states? Will the people allow them to continue to abuse their power?

    • #9
  10. Susan Quinn Member
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Paul Stinchfield (View Comment):

     

    This one makes me ill…

    • #10
  11. namlliT noD Member
    namlliT noD
    @DonTillman

    Susan Quinn: Do we have any outcomes that we can look forward to in the next several months that will turn down the temperature and encourage the pro-Palestinian protestors to pull back? I’m skeptical.

    Easy…

    Democrats believe that unrest is a political asset, and they organize and support such protests, just as they did with the George Floyd protests, the climate change protests, the defund the police protests, the occupy protests, the pussy hat protests, and so many more.

    And nobody calls’m on it.

    So the best thing would be to stand up and broadcast the truth, that these protests are all crazy, destructive, and the work of the Democrat Party.

    It’s actually a win-win-win situation. Boost the common-sense Republicans, make the Dems look bad, and with actual consequences, maybe the Dems will stop organizing these things.

    See my post These Protesters Are Great.

    • #11
  12. Susan Quinn Member
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    namlliT noD (View Comment):
    It’s actually a win-win-win situation. Boost the common-sense Republicans, make the Dems look bad, and with actual consequences, maybe the Dems will stop organizing these things.

    But do the Dems know that it makes them look bad? And how do we get the word out? The media will make excuses for them. That’s the biggest problem, Don: getting out the truth!

    • #12
  13. MWD B612 "Dawg" Member
    MWD B612 "Dawg"
    @danok1

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    MWD B612 "Dawg" (View Comment):
    Not sure if even that would move the authorities

    Maybe if it’s one of theirs? Not wishing for it…

    Nope. He or she will just become another “martyr” who must be avenged. Again, see: George Floyd, Michael Brown, etc.

    • #13
  14. namlliT noD Member
    namlliT noD
    @DonTillman

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    namlliT noD (View Comment):
    It’s actually a win-win-win situation. Boost the common-sense Republicans, make the Dems look bad, and with actual consequences, maybe the Dems will stop organizing these things.

    But do the Dems know that it makes them look bad? And how do we get the word out? The media will make excuses for them. That’s the biggest problem, Don: getting out the truth!

    That’s no longer an excuse… X is fantastic, Truth Social helps, Fox News (*) is the most popular TV news source by a lot, the excellent new crop of independent media (Tucker, Rogan, Megyn, et al), political ads, and much more.

    (* Acknowledging that Fox News isn’t always helpful; they have been aligned with election fraud and George Floyd.)

    A working example, from just yesterday, would be the colorful response to whoever said that “JD Vance is weird”:

    https://x.com/search?q=jd%20vance%20is%20weird&src=typed_query

     

    • #14
  15. Susan Quinn Member
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    namlliT noD (View Comment):
    That’s no longer an excuse… X is fantastic, Truth Social helps, Fox News (*) is the most popular TV news source by a lot, the excellent new crop of independent media (Tucker, Rogan, Megyn, et al), political ads, and much more.

    You give me hope, Don. I’m not on X or on Truth Social, but I’ll spread the word in every way I can.

    • #15
  16. ctlaw Coolidge
    ctlaw
    @ctlaw

    The SCLJ has filed a lawsuit on behalf of several of its members who were violently harassed, assaulted, and blocked by pro-Hamas groups and individuals from accessing religious services at Adas Torah Synagogue in Los Angeles June 23, 2024. The lawsuit raises claims under the federal FACE (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) Act and the California state corollary law. Both laws include a provision prohibiting the blocking of access to places of religious worship and allow victims of such conduct to recover damages. 

    https://swulegaljustice.org/legal-actions/antisemitic-synagogue-riot-lawsuit/#complaint

    https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68975960/standwithus-center-for-legal-justice-v-codepink/

    • #16
  17. DonG (CAGW is a Scam) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Scam)
    @DonG

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    DonG (CAGW is a Scam) (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn: legal and administrative responses to them has been useless

    This is a feature, not a bug. The Lefties running cities and universities like having their violent storm troops causing trouble and harassing anyone that does not comply with Leftist thinking. It will just get worse until the Leftists are removed from power and Leftist thinking is once again not tolerated. Free-minded people have no obligation to tolerate intolerance. Leftists should be treated by their standards, not ours.

    We can hope we’ll take over at the national level. But what about all the blue states? Will the people allow them to continue to abuse their power?

    good question.   We can hope that successful Red states will encourage the citizens of Blue states to fix their governments.   The road to serfdom is more of a slippery slope, so the odds are against us.  In the meantime, we have to commie-proof the Red states.  Florida requires students to take a class on the evils of communism.   We need that in every grade in every state.   We need states to remove that popular referendum threshold of 50%.  Pure democracy is two wolves and a chicken voting on what’s for dinner.

    • #17
  18. Susan Quinn Member
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    ctlaw (View Comment):

    The SCLJ has filed a lawsuit on behalf of several of its members who were violently harassed, assaulted, and blocked by pro-Hamas groups and individuals from accessing religious services at Adas Torah Synagogue in Los Angeles June 23, 2024. The lawsuit raises claims under the federal FACE (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) Act and the California state corollary law. Both laws include a provision prohibiting the blocking of access to places of religious worship and allow victims of such conduct to recover damages.

    https://swulegaljustice.org/legal-actions/antisemitic-synagogue-riot-lawsuit/#complaint

    https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68975960/standwithus-center-for-legal-justice-v-codepink/

    Thanks so much, ctlaw. We are going to have to make these protests painful for them in one way or another.

    • #18
  19. tigerlily Member
    tigerlily
    @tigerlily

    With Biden being replaced with Harris at the top of the ticket, the potential for violence at the Democrat convention in Chicago has been pushed to the back burner. Still, I expect the pro-Hamas crowd will be out in force for the convention (even if it’s somewhat virtual as the Dems seem to want) and up to their usual behavior. What remains to be seen is how the far left Democrat mayor will respond to pro-Hamas demonstrations and violence. He’s a Democrat and so should want to the convention to be a success, but he’s also a Leftist and fine with political violence as long as it’s from the Left and, in addition is, as best as I can tell, sympathetic to the pro-Hamas crowd.

    • #19
  20. Susan Quinn Member
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    tigerlily (View Comment):

    With Biden being replaced with Harris at the top of the ticket, the potential for violence at the Democrat convention in Chicago has been pushed to the back burner. Still, I expect the pro-Hamas crowd will be out in force for the convention (even if it’s somewhat virtual as the Dems seem to want) and up to their usual behavior. What remains to be seen is how the far left Democrat mayor will respond to pro-Hamas demonstrations and violence. He’s a Democrat and so should want to the convention to be a success, but he’s also a Leftist and fine with political violence as long as it’s from the Left and, in addition is, as best as I can tell, sympathetic to the pro-Hamas crowd.

    I can’t imagine that the protestors won’t be out there in full force. What the Leftists don’t get is that those people want to destroy everyone. I wonder if the Dems will go virtual just to avoid the violence.

    • #20
  21. namlliT noD Member
    namlliT noD
    @DonTillman

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    tigerlily (View Comment):

    With Biden being replaced with Harris at the top of the ticket, the potential for violence at the Democrat convention in Chicago has been pushed to the back burner. Still, I expect the pro-Hamas crowd will be out in force for the convention (even if it’s somewhat virtual as the Dems seem to want) and up to their usual behavior. What remains to be seen is how the far left Democrat mayor will respond to pro-Hamas demonstrations and violence. He’s a Democrat and so should want to the convention to be a success, but he’s also a Leftist and fine with political violence as long as it’s from the Left and, in addition is, as best as I can tell, sympathetic to the pro-Hamas crowd.

    I can’t imagine that the protestors won’t be out there in full force. What the Leftists don’t get is that those people want to destroy everyone. I wonder if the Dems will go virtual just to avoid the violence.

    There are a lot of parallels to the 1968 Democrat Convention.  The same city, an ailing incumbent presidential candidate who drops out of the race, riots, unpopular wars, and more.

    Mark Twain famously said, “History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.”  So one would expect some violent demonstrations.  But I’m thinking there might not be enough enthusiasm for that.  We’ll have to see.

    • #21
  22. Susan Quinn Member
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    namlliT noD (View Comment):
    Mark Twain famously said, “History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.”  So one would expect some violent demonstrations.  But I’m thinking there might not be enough enthusiasm for that.  We’ll have to see.

    I hope you’re right. 

    • #22
  23. Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot) Member
    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot)
    @ArizonaPatriot

    I think that this post is incorrect, and is out of touch with reality.

    Supposedly there is a huge amount of violence, and yet nobody has died.  This is admitted.  Of course, a great many people have died, but they are not “somebody.”  Almost 40,000 Palestinians have died, perhaps many more.  But only one group of people counts, apparently.

    • #23
  24. Red Herring Coolidge
    Red Herring
    @EHerring

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):

    I think that this post is incorrect, and is out of touch with reality.

    Supposedly there is a huge amount of violence, and yet nobody has died. This is admitted. Of course, a great many people have died, but they are not “somebody.” Almost 40,000 Palestinians have died, perhaps many more. But only one group of people counts, apparently.

    So, deaths are required for protests to be violent?  J6 protesters didn’t kill anyone yet that is called a violent protest. 

    Not enough bad guys have died and a lot more will die after that attack on kids playing soccer. Thank goodness there is one country willing to stand up against terrorists. 

    • #24
  25. Andrew Troutman Coolidge
    Andrew Troutman
    @Dotorimuk

    I prefer no flag burning. I suppose we can’t do jack legally about burning the flags of our allies.

    But I’m on the side that doesn’t burn our flag, as a rule of thumb.  

    This war, provoked by the Palestinians, has given garden variety Jew haters a chance to vent.

    • #25
  26. DonG (CAGW is a Scam) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Scam)
    @DonG

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):

    I think that this post is incorrect, and is out of touch with reality.

    Supposedly there is a huge amount of violence, and yet nobody has died. This is admitted. Of course, a great many people have died, but they are not “somebody.” Almost 40,000 Palestinians have died, perhaps many more. But only one group of people counts, apparently.

    I think you have confused this post, which is about protests happening in America with things happening *outside* of the USA.  Here’s an explainer on maps from Miss Teen S.C.

    • #26
  27. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    Susan Quinn: Does someone need to die?

    Someone already did.

    https://www.npr.org/2023/11/07/1211163882/elderly-jewish-man-dies-israeli-palestinian-protest-la-california

    • #27
  28. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):
    Supposedly there is a huge amount of violence, and yet nobody has died. 

    Incorrect.

    • #28
  29. Susan Quinn Member
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Hat tip to ctlaw:

    https://legalinsurrection.com/2024/06/lawsuit-ucla-facilitated-jew-exclusion-zone-blocking-access-to-heart-of-campus/

     

    UCLA’s tolerance emboldened the pro-Hamas mob even further, according to the complaint. With the school looking on, and even facilitating them, the activists created a ‘Jew Exclusion Zone’ that effectively barred both students and faculty from going to their classes, offices, and the library.

    To get by the encampment, you had to pass a loyalty test—and disavow Israel—the complaint says:

    To enter the Jew Exclusion Zone, a person had to make a statement pledging their allegiance to the activists’ views and have someone within the encampment “vouch” for the individual’s fidelity to the activists’ cause.  … [T]he practical effect was to deny the overwhelming majority of Jews access to the heart of the campus.

    And yet, the school directed campus security not to intervene.

    • #29
  30. Susan Quinn Member
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Andrew Troutman (View Comment):

    I prefer no flag burning. I suppose we can’t do jack legally about burning the flags of our allies.

    But I’m on the side that doesn’t burn our flag, as a rule of thumb.

    This war, provoked by the Palestinians, has given garden variety Jew haters a chance to vent.

    Unless they owned the flag they burned, they destroyed government property.

    • #30
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.