Those pro-Gaza college protesters may be interested in more than divestment from Israel, judging from their wish lists.
At the University of Chicago, UChicago United for Palestine drew widespread mockery this week for a list to supporters of “updated supply needs” that included HIV tests and morning-after birth control pills.
In other words, there may be more than anti-Israel proselytizing going on inside those encampments.
Comments on social media ranged from “the amount of entitlement is nauseating” to “guess they are planning on a big night.”
Analyst David Lange noted that the tally included “behind the ear mask buffers” to “take pressure off from wearing [a] mask for a long time.”
“And remember, folks. Anyone needing ‘behind the ear mask buffers’ will never ‘Free Palestine,’” Mr. Lange said on the Israellycool website.
UChicago encampment requests Plan B, HIV tests and dental dams, per a post on the organizers’ Instagram pic.twitter.com/EEbzLqraMX
— Gabby Deutch (@GSDeutch) May 2, 2024
There were no calls for birth control posted by Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA, but the group did draw double takes for requested donations of vegan and gluten-free food as well as “NO bananas,” “NO packaged food,” “NO coffee” and “NO bagels.”
“No bagels? You have to admire the ideological purity,” cracked Danny McInnes on X.
Several commentators said they were tempted to deliver bagels to the protesters and wait for a reaction.
“I really feel like sending them two dozen fresh bagels with lots of cream cheese and seeing how many of them partake of the hated Jewish food,” said Anthony Goldsmith.
The list of UCLA student demands. You will note they insist on NO BAGELS… pic.twitter.com/QYNxZ6JP2o
— leekern (@leekern13) May 1, 2024
The UCLA group also asked supporters to “please make sure that donations are BDS compliant,” meaning they weren’t made in Israel.
Then again, the list included allergic-fighting EpiPens, or epinephrine injectors, a technology invented by engineer Sheldon Kaplan in 1973 and manufactured by Teva Pharmaceuticals, based in Israel.
“Going to be wild when they find out the EpiPen was invented by a Jew, likely a Zionist,” said Jeremy Isenberg on X.
At Columbia University, students who took over Hamilton Hall demanded that the school continue to provide meals for students on the meal plan, as well as allow food and water to be brought in, calling it “humanitarian aid.”
“I mean, it’s crazy to say [this] because we’re on an Ivy League campus, but this is like basic humanitarian aid we’re asking for,” a Ph.D. student identified as Johannah King-Slutzky told reporters at a Tuesday press conference.
Whether the university agreed to provide food and water to protesters was ultimately moot. Hours later, Columbia brought in the New York Police Department to retake Hamilton Hall and clear out the encampment.
Police said 119 protesters were arrested at Columbia, 32 of whom had no affiliation with the school.
Anti-Israel camps had spread to more than 100 college campuses as of Thursday, according to the Anti-Defamation League, creating a hostile environment for Jewish students. The pro-Palestinians are refusing to leave until their demands are met.
Those demands typically include divestment from Israel, disclosure of university financial assets and “amnesty” for students facing suspensions or other punishment for their campus destruction.