Thursday evening, pro-Israel audience members physically assaulted students and solidarity activists at an Israel Alliance event hosted at the University of New Mexico. The footage captured by a student attending the StandWithUs-hosted event shows adult men verbally abusing the students before physically swatting at their arms, heads, and chests and, at minute 0:55, throwing them to the ground. The students had just begun “mic checking” Nonie Darwish for her comments in support of Israel’s aggression when the assailants launched their physical tirade at them and forced them from the room.

Although I try to refrain from the overplayed references to Gandhi, I will take the liberty of pitching a question similar to the one tossed around by fundamentalist supporters of Israel every day: Where is Israel’s Gandhi? Clearly, his absence is still extending. The assault on the students at a public event at the University of New Mexico mimics Israel’s regular response to nonviolent activists in Palestine and, just as it isn’t tolerated there, it won’t be tolerated here. [Read more...]