US university cancels pro-Palestine valedictorian’s speech: How Israel’s Gaza assault has polarised American campuses

Tabassum, however, wrote in a statement that “The university is succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice.” USC’s decision has been met with widespread backlash. The Council of American Islamic Relations, the US’ largest Muslim civil rights group, called the decision “cowardly”, and asked USC to reverse it.

This is just the latest instance of the ongoing conflict in Palestine spilling over into US college campuses, triggering controversies which have made global headlines. We take a look.

But first, what exactly did Asna Tabassum say?

Asna Tabassum, a student of biomedical engineering, was chosen as USC’s 2024 valedictorian for her high academic scores, and involvement in campus activities. After her selection was announced, however, a swarm of on- and off-campus groups attacked Tabassum for her pro-Palestine views, which they deemed as “anti-semitic”.

Behind this outrage was the activity on Tabassum’s Instagram account. In her bio, Tabassum has shared a link to a slideshow titled “learn about what’s happening in Palestine and how to help”. The presentation advocates for the “complete abolishment of Israel”, and “one Palestinian state” where Jews and Arabs “would live together”.

She also calls Zionism “a racist settler-colonial ideology that advocates for a jewish ethnostate built on palestinian land”, and says that the charge of “antisemitism is weaponized against palestinians and allies… by zionists as a way to shut down criticism of israel.”

Why is this such a big deal?

Tabassum’s views are not hers alone — millions have voices similar opinions, more so as Israel has continued to ravage Gaza (and West Bank), despite mounting international pressure, and accusations of genocide.

Since the October 7 Hamas attacks, Israel’s indiscriminate assault on Gaza has killed at least 30,000 civilians — mostly women and children — and pushed the territory into famine. The exact figure on Palestinian casualties is difficult to estimate since Israel’s onslaught has effectively destroyed Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry. The number of dead has been stuck at roughly 30,000 since early January — four months ago.

However, there are also many, especially in the West, who support Israel’s actions, and deem them as necessary to protect its existence. This has led to tensions in all spheres of public life in countries such as the United States — Israel’s backer-in-chief — including in college and university campuses, where tensions have manifested as a free speech issue.

Why are things so tense on US college campuses over Israel and Gaza?

According Israel’s critics, universities have attempted to silence pro-Palestinian voices under pressure from Zionist groups, including threat of violence, as well as rich Jewish donors. This is — as Tabassum’s presentation claimed — being done under the guise of clamping down on “anti-semitism”.

“Colleges are starting to clamp down on pro-Palestinian protests and events on campus, as the institutions face pressure from donors, alumni and politicians, who are furious over what they say is an antisemitic campaign against Jews,” a report from The New York Times in December 2023 said.

Prominent pro-Palestinian groups, such as Students for Justice in Palestine, have also been suspended from at least four universities, including Columbia, Brandeis, George Washington and Rutgers.

A February protest against an event organised by Jewish students at the University of California, Berkeley, resulted in police having to evacuate the Israeli speaker, as well as the attendees at the gathering, after Pro-Palestinian demonstrators broke through the doors.

In many ways, Israel’s actions in Gaza, for the first time in decades, have significantly “radicalised” a large section of the US population, especially the youth, against Zionism and Israel. A poll by the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research in February found that at least half of the US’s adult population believes that Israel’s offensive has gone too far.