Barnard student twice arrested at Columbia protests refuses to say whether Israel has right to exist
NY Post
A Barnard College student who was among the hundreds arrested during NYPD’s raid at Columbia University to rid the campus of student protesters refused to say whether or not she believes Israel has the right to exist.
Marie Adele Grosso, a 19-year-old studying sociology and human rights, has been arrested at Columbia twice in the past month for trespassing during the ongoing student protests demanding the school divest from Israel-associated companies, according to police sources.
In an interview with “Leading Britain’s Conversation” host Ben Kentish on Thursday, Grosso struggled several times to answer his direct question: “Do you think Israel has a right to exist?”
“I believe Palestinians have a right to equal rights. I believe Palestinians have a right to return to their homelands. Since 75 years ago, Palestinians have been systematically forced out of their homes,” she began to answer before Kentish repeated his question, video shows.
“I’m so sorry, I have a longer answer to this question,” she responded after Kentish said it sounded like she was not answering his inquiry, saying she was taking a while to reply because “it’s a more complicated question.”
“There’s a difference between believing that Jewish individuals should be in, or have a right to be in Palestine and believing that Israel as a country should be allowed to continue what they’re doing. And I believe the land is Palestine,” Grosso said.
