Dark Mode Light Mode

Young people are finally free to speak their minds on Israel

Israel confirms death of Hamas elite commander who was also a UN aid worker Israel confirms death of Hamas elite commander who was also a UN aid worker

Since the tragic massacre in Israel, one of the most pronounced and troubling developments is the fervent support for the terrorist group Hamas among college-age Americans. 

Recent survey data indicates that, compared to just after Oct. 7, 2023, young Americans have radically changed their stance on Israel. Young Americans’ views might not have changed so quickly if it were not for President Donald Trump’s surprise win, which likely emboldened students to share their support of Israel without fear of social exclusion. 

In the wake of the Oct. 7 massacre and only days after the brutal attack on Israel by Hamas, survey data from an October of 2023 Harvard-Harris poll reveals that America’s youngest cohort of Americans were far less supportive of Israel compared to older generations. While the nation overwhelmingly supported Israel by 84% and 16% to Hamas, after the tragedy, barely half (52%) of those between 18 and 24 supported Israel, while 95% of Americans over 65 supported Israel. Commentators called these youngest Americans ignorant and morally confused.

A year later, in October of 2024, the attitudes of young Americans hadn’t changed. Taken only weeks before the November presidential election, the polling data revealed that 81% of Americans were supportive of Israel compared to just 19% for Hamas. Older generations, too, were also far more supportive of Israel than younger cohorts. However, just four months ago, those in the 18-24 cohort were again the least supportive of Israel of all the age cohorts at just 57% and lower than those aged 25-34, who were 65% in favor of Israel. The oldest cohort, those 65 and older, were again the most supportive at 94%

Arguments were being made for a troubling “generational gap” where “Younger Americans have a more favorable opinion of the Palestinian people than the Israeli people.”

However, just released January survey data from Harvard-Harris refutes this generational gap. In fact, it would appear that young Americans have radically changed their stance on Israel—that change has understandably prompted quite a bit of questioning. 

The latest data show that not only does the nation support Israel over Hamas by a significant margin – 79% for Israel compared to 21% for Hamas – but also 79% of young people aged 18 to 24 support Israel as well. 

This level of support is higher than those aged 25-34, who support Israel over Hamas at 68% but remains lower than those over 65 who support Israel at over 90%. 

As both a scholar of public opinion and an openly Zionist professor who regularly works with students nationwide, I see this new data as illuminating because it reveals a rejection of cancel culture and dangerous mandatory groupthink.

Public opinion rarely shifts this quickly and drastically. As a professor, I’ve encountered many students with personal beliefs that are anything but progressive but often publicly signal that they are left of center. Almost all of them tell me privately that they and their friends are not extremely progressive at all, support Israel, and recognize that Hamas is a terrorist group, but they are afraid of being canceled and socially ostracized.

What most likely happened in this latest round of data is that Trump’s surprise win signaled a political shift away from this culture of silence and powerfully showed students that their campus bubbles are not representative of the values and views of the nation. 

Trump’s win has signaled to America, for instance, that support for diversity, equity, and inclusion lost resoundingly and his executive order ending DEI for federal employees and promoting merit is unambiguous clear proof. This win opens up the environment for people to speak and question freely and move away from feeling threatened and unsafe to express themselves.

From my view as a professor, I now see so many emboldened and excited students who finally feel like they can to speak publicly about issues that matter to them without the same worries and concerns that existed under Biden. 

Trump’s return to the White House and the accompanying shift away from a “politically correct” culture of intimidation and silence appears to have been freeing to so many—particularly pro-Israel students on hostile college campuses­. While the organized left continues to protest on campuses such as Columbia and Sarah Lawrence and make noise on social media, I sense real relief among undergraduates who tell me that a weight has been lifted.

Even before Trump entered the White House for a second time, there were bold undergraduates who had enough of hiding their views, were rejecting the illiberal campus madness, and wanted to be intellectually honest. The New York Post recently reported that prospective conservative students are no longer afraid to express and proudly reveal their political views. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

One college consultant in New York even argued that students have now taken the view that, “… this is what I believe in, and I’m going to talk about it. And if the admissions officer fundamentally disagrees with me and rejects me, that’s fine because this is who I am, and that’s not the school for me.” Students are feeling more comfortable speaking and questioning openly and honestly—behavior that should be at the core of higher education.

As such, I suspect that the sudden, newfound support for Israel among young Americans is not an actual change in attitudes toward Israel at all. What we are uncovering in the data now are more reliable answers that capture the true beliefs of young people which are finally surfacing with Trump’s victory. The ideals and values of the new White House have been liberating to many younger Americans and earlier norms of intimidation, censorship, and cancel culture are crumbling. Viewpoint diversity is finally prevalent and celebrated once again.

Samuel J. Abrams is a professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com

Keep Up to Date with the Most Important News

Add a comment Add a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous Post
MSU Brushed Ed School Dean’s Plagiarism Under the Rug — Minding The Campus

MSU Brushed Ed School Dean’s Plagiarism Under the Rug — Minding The Campus

Next Post
WATCH: State offers aid to mothers struggling with drug addiction | Pennsylvania

WATCH: State offers aid to mothers struggling with drug addiction | Pennsylvania