The US State Department issued a “worldwide caution” alert on Thursday, October 19, 2023, advising all US citizens abroad to exercise increased caution due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as well as the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against US citizens and interests in various locations around the world. The alert also urged Americans to stay vigilant in locations frequented by tourists and to review their personal security plans.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war on October 7, 2023, pro-Palestinian demonstrations have taken place around the world to express solidarity with the people of Gaza and to condemn Israel’s bombardment of the besieged enclave. The war, which was triggered by a surprise attack by Hamas that killed more than 1,300 Israelis and kidnapped nearly 200, has also claimed the lives of more than 1,500 Palestinians and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
Pro-Palestinian protesters have rallied in cities such as Baghdad, Amman, Jakarta, Islamabad, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Barcelona, Mexico City, Caracas, Geneva, Canberra and New York, waving Palestinian flags, chanting slogans, burning effigies and staging sit-ins. Some of the demonstrations have been organized by leftist Jewish groups, such as Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, who have accused Israel of preparing to commit genocide in Gaza. However, some pro-Israel groups and figures have dismissed the protesters as anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic, and some countries, such as France, have banned pro-Palestinian rallies for fear of public disorder.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters across major US cities marched on Wednesday, holding signs with slogans such as “Stop Genocide!”, echoing demonstrations that erupted globally. In New York, one sign being held up read: “You cannot hide genocide. We are all watching”.
The alert came as the first shipments of humanitarian aid were expected to arrive in Gaza on Friday, after nearly two weeks of Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire that have killed more than 1,000 people in Gaza and Israel. The aid delivery was announced by President Biden after his visit to Israel, where he met with Prime Minister Netanyahu and spoke with Egyptian President Sisi. The aid convoy, organized by a group of Egyptian NGOs, was waiting at the Rafah border crossing for clearance to enter Gaza. The UN said that up to 20 trucks of food, water and medicine could enter Gaza on Friday, after roads damaged by airstrikes were repaired.
Public sentiment in the US is split as many young people express support for the Palestinian people, even as the Biden administration’s policies express the strongest solidarity and support for Israel–—promising virtually unlimited aid.
Indeed, there is division in Israel as well; recent demonstrations took place there before the attack by Hamas, expressing anger over Netanyahu’s repressive far-right policies. Such demonstrations have drawn tens of thousands of people to the streets, expressing their discontent with the government’s plans to undermine the judiciary system, the human rights of minorities and women, and the prospects of peace with the Palestinians. The protesters fear that Netanyahu, who is facing corruption charges, is trying to consolidate his power and escape justice by weakening the Supreme Court and increasing the influence of his hardline nationalist and religious allies as he ratcheted up repressive measures against the Palestinians. The demonstrations have taken place in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and other cities, even calling for Netanyahu to resign and for new elections to be held.
In the United States many universities have been roiled by protests expressing support for the Palestinian cause against Israel. More than 30 student groups at Harvard University signed a statement blaming Israel for the violence and holding it responsible for all the unfolding violence.
Similarly, groups at Indiana University, University of California at Berkeley, University of Florida and Columbia University staged protests, vigils and rallies in solidarity with Palestinians facing Israeli bombardment in Gaza.
However, not all universities have been supportive of the Palestinian cause. Some have condemned the terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Hamas, such as Harvard president Claudine Gay, or expressed sympathy for the Israeli victims of the attack, such as New York University president Andrew Hamilton. Yet there is an important distinction being made between the terrorism of Hamas and the suffering of the Palestinian people and sympathy for their plight seems to have greatly increased since the start of this latest conflict.
In the midst of the explosive rhetoric bandied by both sides, some pro-Palestinian activists have faced harassment, threats and Islamophobia from pro-Israeli students or faculty members on some campuses. The situation on college campuses reflects the complexity and sensitivity of the Israel-Palestine conflict, which has been ongoing for decades and has claimed thousands of lives on both sides.
It is in the full context of such divided sentiments on a global level, that the alert for American travelers has been issued, as the US government is increasingly seen as an enabler of Israeli far-right anti-Palestinian policies.
