VOX POPULI: American students refuse to remain silent on the crisis in Palestine

A few days ago, I was attracted by a comment made by American author James Simon Kunen to the American media.

He noted that protesters were “looking not just at 1968, but also at 1985.”

Kunen was 19 years old in 1968 when he participated in the Columbia University protests against the Vietnam War. He wrote about his experiences in a non-fiction work called “The Strawberry Statement,” which was later made into a film.

His comment above concerned the current anti-Israel protests spreading around American college campuses, sparked by the dire situation in Gaza.

The images of students fighting with police officers are strongly reminiscent of the anti-war movement of the 1960s, as some media outlets point out.

However, the situation and the demands of the demonstrators today seem closer to those of 1985.

That year, protests against South African apartheid gained momentum in Europe and the United States, where students organized a broad boycott movement that contributed to the eventual withdrawal of major corporations from related businesses to South Africa.

The demands for divestment made by the demonstrators now also concern business investments.

In addition to tuition, American universities typically invest large amounts of endowments through funds.

But protesters are demanding that universities stop investing in Israeli companies and companies that profit from the war in Gaza.

I wonder if their demands will be met.

Come to think of it, financial instruments have become much more complex over the past 40 years, and some universities might well argue that, since they entrust all financial management to experts, they know little about the specific stocks or bonds in the all investments.

But instead of avoiding the issue, they should work to identify and disclose the different components of their portfolio.

Some say the protests are politicized. But I would still like universities to be honest with students.

Let us not forget that instead of remaining silent or making excuses for their inaction, these students defended their cause when the “adults” of the international community failed to stop the war in Gaza.

—The Asahi Shimbun, May 8

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that covers a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives and insight into contemporary Japan and its culture.