George Washington University students hold pro-Israel rally on 8th day of pro-Palestinian protests
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Jewish students and others held a pro-Israel rally at George Washington University (GW) on Thursday to bring attention to hostages as pro-Palestinian protesters continued into their eighth straight day.
Scores of supporters and even U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) joined students in their protest. The crowd chanted, “Bring them home,” referring to more than 100 hostages who are still held by Hamas in Gaza.
Jewish students at George Washington have complained that they do not feel safe on campus given the pro-Palestinian protests.
“We respond to slurs by mobs wishing our existence away by flying our flag high,” said Sabrina Soffer, a student at GW, during her speech to the crowd gathered two blocks from where the Palestinian protesters are holding ground. “We stand for the freedom and safety of everyone on this campus, city and country.”
GW officials and Republican members of Congress have been building pressure for D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to remove the pro-Palestinian protesters from campus.
The House Oversight Committee has called a hearing for next Wednesday and requested that the mayor and her police chief attend. Congress oversees the laws of District officials.
Soffer said that the rhetoric at the Palestinian protests can lead to anti-Semitism.
“I’m very troubled by the protests. I think they’re very problematic,” she said. “They violate educational opportunities for all students. A student should never have to be unsafe on campus.”
But Sara, who is a student at American University and has been protesting at the pro-Palestinian encampment, said that it has been peaceful. There isn’t a case, she said, for accusing protesters of promoting fear and hate.
“We’re not here to hate any group of people,” said Sara, who declined to give her last name. “We are not here to call out one specific group. It is clear that by the amount of people here that they believe in peace.”
Sara is one of many students who has been criticizing Israel for the ongoing bombing since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. These bombings have reportedly killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza.
“I recognize that it may be uncomfortable to see criticism of Israel, but it is our free speech,” Sara said.
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Yet Leat Corinne Unger of New Jersey, said there’s a lot of “noise” coming from the pro-Palestinian protesters and that the attention should be on the remaining hostages in Gaza, one of whom is her cousin.
Unger came to D.C. to back up GW’s Jewish students.
“I felt it was very important to show my support for the students but also to remind them to remind them that we’re all in the same fight,” she said. “It feels like there’s less and less priority here, and the priority is bringing them home.”
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