ITHACA, N.Y. (WENY) --Students in universities across the country have been protesting as the Israel-Hamas war reaches a boiling point. On Oct. 18th, the Cornell University chapter for Students for Justice in Palestine organized a rally for what student leaders described as a protest to the occupation in Palestine.  

The demonstration comes as both faculty and students came to express their concerns of the university's response to the Palestine, Arab, and Muslim community. Students gave push-back to Cornell President Martha Pollack's recent statements in wake of the Middle East war, and the fatal stabbing of the 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, who authorities say was killed by his landlord for being Muslim. 

The protest began at 5 p.m. with students and faculty flooding into Ho Plaza. The Master of the Ceremony in charge of organizing the event opened the conversation on the topic of equality.

“We talked a lot about all things being equal. We said justice, all things being equal. We say the conditions of consent, all things being equal. We talked about the wrongness of violence, all things being equal. But what we have seen and continue to see, the conflict and the state Palestinians are in right now are not equal.” 

Notable historical names were referenced and quoted such as Malcom X’s famous line “If you stick a knife in my back 9 inches and pull it out 6 inches, there's no progress. If you pull it all the way out, that's not progress. The progress is healing the wound that the blow made and they won't even admit the knife is there." 

Momodou Taal, a second year PhD student in Africana studies, says he came out to show solidarity saying he understands what oppression feels like being Black in America. 

“As a Black person, we intimately understand what oppression is, in this country, around the world. So that's why people like to separate forms of oppression, but what we see taking place here against Black people is directly connected to what happens in Palestine against the Palestinians.”  

Taal adds that the overall sentiment on campus from his Palestinian peers have "[felt] let down by the administration [and] by the president” after the last three recently released statements since the Hamas attack on Israel.  

Recently, President Joe Biden made a historical seven hour visit to Israel on Oct. 18th, the first-time an American president stepped foot in Tel Aviv during a time of war. Biden went in hopes of deescalating the situation and stood in solidarity with Israel. Biden also pledged to provide humanitarian aid to Gazans after an explosion killed hundreds of civilians, majority of whom were women and kids. Israeli's say it was a misfire from a militant group in Palestine called Jihad, while Palestinians say it was an Israeli airstrike. 

Pro-Palestine demonstrators spoke out against the recent Gaza City hospital attack. Hasham Kahan, ‘25, says he’s from Azad Kashmir, a militarized region in Pakistan, and understands the fear of being a victim of war.  

“I mentioned in my speech that we heard more gunfire, there was a lot of gunfire in bordering towns. And what it meant was you had no idea whether you were going to become a victim of that gunfire. Whether it was aimed at civilians or at Pakistani soldiers, there was a lot of aggression from the Indian side going into the Pakistani side.” 

Hasham says it's disheartening to know there's a polarization on campus with everyday peers. 

“There is almost like an illicit already implemented bias for people like me, for people like Malak and other students who are Palestinian and proud of their identity. It's as if they have been denied the luxury of being simply students, or simply Cornellians, or simply human." 

One student who went by Keemo, says he’s been deeply affected by the content shared online, and his own personal connection to the region.  

“I weep because every picture, every story that gets out of Gaza, mirrors the one that come out of Syria, the homelands my family had to leave, and they mirror the stories of Iraq, Iran, of Libya, of Afghanistan, and of Yemen,” adding “I weep because my people are being ethnically cleansed, I weep because my people are being wiped out, and the world is watching and helping.”  

Eric Shafitz, the Ernest I. White Professor of American Studies and Humane Letters at Cornell University teaches cross comparison between settler colonialism in the U.S. with Native Americans and in Israel-Palestine.  

Professor Shafitz shared his experience being Jewish, and says he came to support Palestinians, Arab, and Muslim students due to the silence on campus and on a national level.  

Shafitz, who once lived in Tel Aviv, shared his political views have impacted his own personal life.  

“My daughter is an Israeli citizen and my three grandchildren, so I visited them in Tel Aviv. I can't get into Israel anymore because of my political, beliefs, I think there are also thousands of Jews in Jewish Voice for Peace and Boycott, Sanction, and Divestment who are opposed to what's going on, who are, are fighting for Palestinian rights.” 

Students and staff hope after yesterday's rally the message is clear for calling for peace for both countries as tensions continue to rise.