Displaced Palestinians in Rafah Express Gratitude for American University Protests
In the midst of the campus protests that have been dividing Americans, thousands of miles away in the southern city of Rafah, displaced Palestinians are expressing solidarity with the antiwar demonstrators and thanking them for their efforts.
Rafah, where roughly a million displaced people have sought shelter from the Israeli bombardment and ground fighting, has become a hub of support for the American university protests. Messages of gratitude and solidarity were written on tents in the city, with one message captured on video by Reuters reading, “Thank you, American universities.”
The protests in the United States have been calling for universities to divest from companies with ties to Israel, and some protesters have even taken over academic buildings. Despite tensions rising at campuses across the country, the displaced Palestinians in Rafah are finding hope and comfort in the support they are receiving from afar.
Mohammed al-Baradei, a recent graduate from Al-Azhar University, expressed his gratitude for the solidarity, saying, “Palestinians are very happy that there are still people standing with us.” Freelance journalist Akram al-Satri added, “Gazans are watching with hope and gratitude the student movement in the United States.”
For Bisan Owda, a Palestinian documenting the war on social media, the campus protests have brought a new sense of possibility. “I’ve lived my whole life in Gaza Strip and I’ve never felt hope like now,” she said in a video posted to her Instagram followers.
As tensions continue to escalate in Rafah, with the threat of a ground invasion looming, the support from American universities is a beacon of hope for the displaced Palestinians. Despite the distance, the messages of solidarity and gratitude are reaching those who need it most.
