Anti-Israel Protests Sweep Campuses, Garners Support from Iran

Arrests have been made at Princeton University amid anti-Israel protests that are intensifying across universities, drawing attention and support from Iranian officials and media.

Iran and its allies have been actively applauding the anti-Israel protests sweeping American universities, claiming they represent grassroots sentiment against Israel. "These are the mainstream, most important news agencies or websites inside Iran that are covering this," said Dr. Saeed Ghasseminejad, a senior advisor on Iran at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "They are covering it very religiously, and as you can guess, they definitely back that."

Ivy League universities including Columbia University, Harvard University, and Yale University have witnessed escalating anti-Israel protests over the past week, leading to Columbia adopting hybrid learning due to safety concerns. The unrest has extended to other universities, such as the University of Texas at Austin, where arrests were made during an anti-Israel demonstration.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has expressed support for those condemning Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing concern over the law enforcement response to the protests. Iranian media has highlighted the Ivy League demonstrations, claiming they have inspired student sit-ins across the country in support of Gaza residents.

"According to images and reports from universities like 'Yale' and 'Harvard,' students have gathered on these campuses to condemn the genocide committed by the Israeli regime in Gaza and demand that academic associations sever ties with the Zionist regime," stated an article by Iranian newspaper Kayhan. Iranian news network Al-Alam hailed the protests as evidence of "the emergence of broad changes in the attitudes of the American public and, particularly, the youth towards the policies of their government and its unconditional support for the Zionist regime."

Ghasseminejad noted that some Middle Eastern outlets cover the unrest multiple times daily and closely monitor it. Leaders of Iranian proxies, such as Hezbollah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, have emphasized the significance of the anti-Israel demonstrations in the U.S., calling them "very influential" and lauding their impact on U.S. policy.

In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Steven Stalinsky, executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), expressed concern over the organized campaign behind the protests, led by student groups that have consulted with former Palestinian militants.

Stalinsky raised concerns about the way student groups have aligned with individuals like Khaled Barakat, a former Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine member, who promoted armed resistance and endorsed the actions of armed groups. Hezbollah leader Nasrallah also discussed Western support for Palestinians against Israel, stating that "the vast majority of young Americans and Canadians … support armed resistance."

Stalinsky pointed to the prevalence of Students for Justice in Palestine, which engages in activism but displays a lack of knowledge about the issues they are protesting. "They are part of instigating [the protests]," he said. "It wasn’t just like some students were watching the news on Columbia, and they decided to [do] this."