Biden White House Blasts ‘Hateful Rhetoric’ After Pro-Israel Activists Chant ‘Go to Gaza’ At Columbia Protestors
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Joe Biden’s White House issued a statement condemning pro-Israel activists for “hateful rhetoric” regarding the Columbia University protests.
On Thursday, pro-Israel activists gathered outside of Columbia and began chanting “Go to Gaza!” at pro-Palestinian students protesting the Israel-Hamas war, according to video captured by HuffPost.
The pro-Israel protesters also told the students to “Go home, terrorists!” and “Stop wasting mommy and daddy’s money!”
The White House responded to the footage that went viral on social media, calling the chants “bigoted and outrageous.” The Biden administration has faced criticism from pro-Palestine activists for continuing to provide aid and weapons to Israel amid the siege in Gaza.
Here’s another video where you can more clearly hear the pro-Israel crowd chanting “go to Gaza” at Columbia students through the gate https://t.co/3tYRP4XGGU pic.twitter.com/uDcSzcNWiH
— Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) April 26, 2024
“Every American is an American, full stop,” said Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates in a statement. “It is bigoted and outrageous to suggest that anyone should ‘go back’ anywhere. These kinds of statements degrade all of us, whether it’s telling someone to ‘go back’ to Gaza, or telling someone to ‘go back’ to Belarus and Poland, which was captured in other videos yesterday — countries where Jews were victims of the Holocaust and pogroms.”
“President Biden stands against hateful rhetoric, and believes we must constantly respect the dignity of all people, regardless of disagreements about policy,” Bates added.
In recent weeks, students and local activists have gathered at the university protesting U.S. financial and military support for Israel amid the war in Gaza.
However, some pro-Palestine activists have shouted chants indicating support for Hamas, leading to Republicans and Democrats, including Biden, to issue statements condemning protesters for anti-Semitism.
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