(ProsperNews.net) – A group of protestors accosted and injured a Jewish Harvard freshman from Israel as he attempted to pass through a protest expressing support for the state of Palestine. Among the protesters was Ibrahim Bharmal, a Harvard Law Review Editor and fellow student.
Video footage captured the incident, recording Bharmal as he screams at the unnamed freshman while he asks protestors not to touch him. Despite his numerous pleas, the protestors continued to shout at and push the Jewish student before attacking him. Following the incident, an unnamed witness reported the protestors to the police on Harvard’s campus and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Authorities confirmed that two of the protestors who assaulted the freshman worked in some capacity on Harvard’s campus and remained in their positions despite the controversy.
The incident comes as antisemitism is on the rise throughout the United States, sparking concerns that those with pro-Palestinian sentiments will take action against Jewish citizens for their religious beliefs.
The Biden Administration is calling on colleges nationwide to provide resources to prevent the rise in religiously motivated assaults. Biden claims colleges need to take action to stanch the growing rates of Islamophobia and antisemitism to prevent future assaults like the one at Harvard. The White House’s call is a response to the popular college protests supporting Palestine, and to the growing number of verbal and physical attacks against Jewish people throughout the country.
Federal authorities are also invested in the effort to prevent future crimes, as the Federal Bureau of Investigation is actively investigating religiously motivated crimes at a higher rate than in previous years. If colleges fail to enact policies aimed at preventing or limiting antisemitism and Islamaphobia, they might face fines for failure to act in the student’s best interests.
The protests in support of Palestine are happening as the conflict between Hamas and Israel drags into its second month. The war is fueling animosity towards Jewish people and Muslims and is causing the United States to increase its military presence in the Middle East. World leaders fear the conflict will escalate beyond the regional war between Israel and Hamas, and other nations like Iran will join the fighting to support the militant group.
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