Washington (DC News Now) — Encampments and protests are occurring on college campuses across the U.S. over the Israel-Hamas war as several states prepare for primaries.
As the general election approaches, Alex Keena, an associate professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University, said the protests are a major conflict that President Joe Biden will have to deal with.
“This is an election year, and we can’t ignore the fact that Biden won in 2020 thanks to a lopsided margin of victory with young people,” Keena said. “In political science, there is often a rule that young people vote less. But this generation of young people actually seems to be defying that rule. Your vote matters now more than ever.”
He said the young people who are speaking out are very passionate about the crisis in Gaza.
“In a way, I think he is [President Biden] “Jewish voters, at least in recent years, have been leaning toward the Democratic Party, so there’s a big conflict that we have to deal with,” Keena said.
He said it’s not an easy position for Biden to be in.
“Young people are very motivated and passionate about the humanitarian cause against civilians in Gaza, and they see this war as a disproportionate use of force against civilians,” Keena said. “Biden is in a predicament because while he wants to show support for Israel as a country, he at least wants to recognize that this humanitarian crisis in Gaza is something that should be a priority. Because it is.”
Keena said the protests won’t have a big impact on the primary, but it’s an opportunity for young people to take a stand on Biden’s positions.
“Both Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump have largely locked in their respective parties’ primaries. But this is an opportunity to show support for, or conversely, dissatisfaction with, Mr. Biden’s position.”
DC News Now asked Keena if former President Donald Trump should or would be affected by the protests.
“Many Democrats will argue, ‘There’s no point in protesting Biden because by withholding a vote for Biden, you’re essentially helping elect Trump, but Trump is obviously pro-Israel, and it’s not.’ I have a lot of sympathy for the Palestinians,” Keena said. “It doesn’t really matter in the Republican primaries, and there aren’t really many Republican primaries going on, and most Republican voters approve of Trump’s stance on Israel, so he’s kind of out of place.” But once the focus shifts to the general election, the contrast between Trump and Biden on this position may become even clearer. ”
As for how long protests on college campuses across the country will continue, Keena said it will depend on how much semester is left and what continues to happen with the war.
