US university ties to weapons contractors under scrutiny amid war in Gaza
Al Jazeera
Activists are calling attention to historical ties between universities and defence contractors linked to Israel’s war.
Los Angeles, California – As the war in Gaza enters its eighth month, Israel’s military campaign, one of the most destructive in modern history, has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
The death toll, as well as the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, has many progressive and pro-Palestinian activists in the United States critical of their country’s role in the war.
The US has long been Israel’s closest ally, supplying the country with about $3.8bn each year in military aid. Critics have blasted that support, as well as the billions of dollars in additional assistance used to bolster the war since its start in October.
On US college campuses, though, the pushback is especially fierce, as students question their universities’ relationships with weapons manufacturers and other companies with ties to Israel’s military.
“These are supposedly social justice-oriented institutions, but their actions say entirely differently,” said Sinqi Chapman, a freshman at Pomona College, a liberal arts institution in Claremont, California.
