Israel

The war in the Middle East appears to be widening, almost one year after Hamas launched its attack on Israel. For more on what might unfold from here, Consider This host Ailsa Chang speaks with General Frank McKenzie, the retired Commander of United States Central Command. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

In response to a sharp rise in antisemitism, communities are coming together to find solutions. A workshop organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples focused on exploring ways to foster safer environments for students.

At issue is a directive from The Board of Governors to “conduct a keyword search on course descriptions and course syllabi for the following keywords: Israel, Israeli, Palestine, Palestinian, Middle East, Zionism, Zionist, Judaism, Jewish, or Jews.”The directive had made many university professors and others uncomfortable.

In secretive hearings, the University of Florida set aside recommendations to lightly punish some of the college students arrested after pro-Palestinian protests on campus and kicked them all out of school for three to four years.The decisions by the new dean of students, Chris Summerlin, overruled what were effectively sentencing recommendations by the juries, known as hearing bodies, who heard testimony and watched police video of the protests and arrests during the disciplinary cases.

Police have arrested nearly 2,200 people during pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the United States in recent weeks, sometimes using riot gear, tactical vehicles and flash-bang devices to clear tent encampments and occupied buildings. One officer accidentally discharged his gun inside a Columbia University administration building while clearing out protesters camped inside, authorities said.

Police supported by state troopers arrested nine pro-Palestinian protesters late Monday who had occupied a plaza on the University of Florida for days. They were among the first college arrests in Florida.University police Sgt. Courtney Marie Burgoyne said officers arrested nine protesters, who were led away in handcuffs. At least seven of the nine were current or former UF students, according to university records. One was facing a felony charge. It followed the arrest of three other protesters at the University of South Florida in Tampa hours earlier.

The Solidarity with Israel Coalition held a rally at the corner of Airport-Pulling Road and Pine Ridge Road on Thursday, April 25.Many held signs with the names and photos of Israelis that were taken hostage.

The University of Florida threatened pro-Palestinian student demonstrators with suspension and banishment from campus for three years if they violate a host of rules of behavior over protests that continued for a third day Friday.The university said employees or professors caught breaking its rules would be fired.

In the midst of the Israel-Hamas conflict, a group of FGCU students has taken a stand to support the people of Gaza. FGCU For Palestine was founded last October following the thousands of Palestinian deaths after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel’s Gaza settlements that killed over a thousand Israelis and took hundreds hostage.It started when a member of the Biden administration doubted the Palestinian death count released by the Gaza Ministry of Health. A few people started reading the names of the killed Palestinians on FGCU’s library lawn, but the death toll became too large to share every casualty.

As Israel’s war with Hamas grinds toward the half-year mark, noted journalist and syndicated columnist J.J. Goldberg shared an overview of the conflict’s historic and geopolitical roots before an overflow local crowd at the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples’ annual Day of Learning.More than 250 attendees filled the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center’s Schiff Hall for the ninth annual event, which explores topical issues through a Jewish lens. The session on Monday, March 11 was co-hosted by the Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Council and its Israel and Overseas Committee.