LOS ANGELES — Students have been voicing their stances on the Israel-Hamas war at events throughout Southern California.

At a Tuesday night vigil at USC hosted by Jewish organizations on campus, hundreds of pro-Israel students gathered to mourn lives lost in the recent violence. About 10 to 15 pro-Palestinian students, like Nour Myra Geha, demonstrated silently at the back of the event. 

“We’re just here to mourn the lives lost by Israeli citizens but also to remind them for 75 years, there’s also been a lot of lives lost by Palestinian citizens,” said Geha, who is one of many students who have voiced their support for Palestinians in the wake of Hamas’s recent terrorist attacks.

Nour Myra Geha stands with fellow pro-Palestinian demonstrators at the back of a vigil. (Spectrum News/Jeremy Lindenfeld)

According to a Gallup poll released in March 2023, months before the latest round of attacks, millennials’ views on Israel and the Palestinians have shifted dramatically over the last decade. In contrast to older Americans who had overwhelmingly positive views of Israel, millennials — the youngest generation polled — were evenly split, with 42% supporting Palestinians and 40% supporting Israelis.

In the past few days, students have participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at universities such as USC and California State University, Long Beach. And although Geha said she supports Palestinians’ rights to fight for their freedom, she also said she does not condone killing.

Even still, tensions have flared between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators. In Santa Clarita, dueling rallies turned violent in front of City Hall, and back at USC, law enforcement had to keep both sides separated as demonstrators faced off.

At a rally by the Federal Building in Westwood hosted by international pro-Israel nonprofit StandWithUs, hundreds gathered and pledged their unwavering support for Israel. Several rabbis and StandWithUs founder and CEO Roz Rothstein spoke at length about what they said was Israel’s importance both to the international Jewish community and to the United States.

One student at UCLA and a StandWithUs Emerson Fellow, who wished not to be identified for safety reasons, spoke passionately about the war and his disappointment at seeing pro-Palestinian rhetoric on social media and at school. 

“There are people who represent UCLA and who people look up to who are supporting the Hamas, who are supporting the ‘Palestinian Liberation Movement.’ And frankly, it disgusts me. I really, really hope that these kinds of things and speaking out about it can help them understand more nuances of the situation and why the things they are saying are not completely true,” the student said. 

He also said many young people are being misinformed on social media and he suggests those who are curious to learn about the current situation speak to folks like himself who know people in Israel right now being personally impacted by the war.

With thousands injured or killed on each side, tensions in Israel and the Palestinian Territories only seem to be increasing. As young people make their voices heard, the rising tensions will continue showing up in Southern California.

EDITOR'S NOTE: After the original story was published, Spectrum News removed the name of a UCLA student who was quoted in the story. He has received personal threats for his pro-Israel stance and no longer wished to be identified for safety reasons. (May 23, 2024)