International Courant
White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dodged a number of questions throughout a press briefing on Monday, relating to the responses of many universities within the U.S. as anti-Israel protests, which generally flip violent, proceed to flare up.
Faculties from coast to coast, together with many Ivy League faculties like Columbia, Yale, Harvard and Penn, have seen dayslong protests on campuses, with college students demanding their faculties fully divest from Israel because the dying toll in Gaza continues to extend.
One reporter on Monday requested Jean-Pierre whether or not President Biden or anybody else within the White Home had spoken with management at Columbia College, and if the president was proud of how faculty directors are dealing with the state of affairs.
“The president has at all times been clear that whereas Individuals have the correct to peacefully protest…he stands squarely, squarely in opposition to any rhetoric, violent rhetoric, any hate, hate threats and bodily intimidation and hate speech,” she stated, including there isn’t a place for antisemitism on school campuses or anyplace else. “It’s a painful second, we get that. However it’s a painful second that Individuals are coping with, and free expression must be achieved throughout the legislation. And, you understand, we will proceed to be very clear about that.”
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS FAIL TO REACH DEAL, PRESIDENT ASKS CAMP TO ‘VOLUNTARILY DISPERSE’
White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre within the Brady Press Briefing Room on the White Home on on January 03, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photos)
The press secretary didn’t reply the query about whether or not Biden was glad with how universities are dealing with the state of affairs. And that was not the one query she dodged.
Jean-Pierre was requested if the White Home thought it was honest that protesters at Columbia or different faculties had been being threatened with probation or different disciplinary actions, and whether or not college students ought to go away a protest earlier than a deadline being given by college personnel at Columbia.
To each questions, Jean-Pierre stated she wouldn’t remark.
VIRGINIA TECH POLICE PHYSICALLY CARRY AWAY ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS AMID EFFORT TO RESTORE PEACE ON CAMPUS
College of Texas law enforcement officials arrest a person at a pro-Palestinian protest at UT on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (Jay Janner/American-Statesman)
“These are establishments. A few of them are non-public, a few of them are public, and it’s as much as their management, college management and schools, to make that call,” she responded to the primary query.
She practically echoed her response to the second query.
“I’m simply not going to touch upon management at schools and universities….that’s for them to resolve,” Jean-Pierre stated. “We’ve been very clear.”
TRUMP SAYS 4 WORDS ABOUT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AS ARRESTS SKYROCKET
An anti-Israel protester in Cambridge on Monday shouted slurs on the pro-Israel counter-protesters, calling them “pigs” and “Nazis.” (Kassy Dillon/Fox Information Digital)
Different subjects that had been dodged included whether or not the White Home was involved about security at graduations; the response of the Biden administration to the usage of police power in a number of the school protests; the Biden administration’s response to the repercussions of the protests and the way they’ve impacted college students on campuses by way of the College of Southern California canceling commencement and George Washington College shifting exams; and if the White Home supported having antisemitism screens on campus.
In practically each response, Jean-Pierre caught to the message that Biden is in favor of peaceable protests and condemns antisemitism and any type of hate.
However that is nothing new.
CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY REVEALS ‘TRUE COST’ OF ANTI-ISRAEL MOB THAT TOOK OVER ACADEMIC BUILDINGS
President Biden stated he expects Iran to assault Israel and tensions proceed to flare between to the 2 nations. (Photographer: Jacquelyn Martin/AP/Bloomberg through Getty Photos)
On Sunday, the White Home remained silent on if the administration plans to bar scholar protesters from eligibility for scholar mortgage forgiveness packages. One factor Biden campaigned on in 2020 was forgiving scholar mortgage debt, pledging to cancel at the very least $10,000 per borrower again in 2020.
Whereas Biden denounced the protests, he got here below criticism final week for additionally condemning these “who don’t perceive what’s occurring with the Palestinians.”
“I condemn the antisemitic protests. That’s why I’ve arrange a program to cope with that. I additionally condemn those that do not perceive what is going on on with the Palestinians,” Biden instructed reporters this month.
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Critics have in contrast it to Trump’s remarks in 2017, following a two-day riot in Charlottesville, Virginia, when White nationalists descended on the town. Trump stated on the time that the violence had “no place in America,” whereas including there was “blame on either side” and “very advantageous folks, on either side.”
Emma Colton of Fox Information Digital contributed to this report.
Greg Wehner is a breaking information reporter for Fox Information Digital.
Story ideas and might be despatched to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.
