Top US university suspends groups protesting Israel-Hamas war

Columbia University has suspended two student groups, Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, due to their organization of protests related to the Israel-Hamas war. The university claims that the groups violated policies regarding campus events, with a particular focus on an unauthorized event that included threatening rhetoric and intimidation. The suspension will last throughout the fall semester and will only be lifted if the groups demonstrate compliance with campus regulations. The decision aims to ensure the safety of the university community and allow core activities to proceed without disruption during what is described as a "charged time" with protests in the United States turning violent. The protests at Columbia involved students walking out of lectures to call for a ceasefire in Israel's assault on Hamas, with some attendees reportedly labeling the operation a "genocide" and demanding the university boycott and divest from Israeli institutions. The broader Middle East conflict has polarized opinions on American campuses, with accusations of anti-Semitism and tensions at universities such as Harvard, Stanford, and New York University. (source: Nov 11, 2023, BSS/AFP)