Tensions surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict continue to shape student activism and community discourse on San Francisco State University’s campus following President Donald Trump’s Feb. 4 press conference with Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister.
Trump spoke about his plans to “take over” and “own” the Gaza Strip. After this declaration, the Trump administration has given mixed signals on a clear plan.
“The peace that Donald Trump wants is not a just peace for the Palestinian people,” said Brian Yan, SFSU Student Union media liaison. “It is a peace that is forced upon them that they are not a part of making. It is a peace in which they are still under occupation by Israel. It is a peace in which they are not allowed to protest attacks by Israeli settlers.”
Takumi Sugawara, president of Turning Point USA’s SFSU chapter, said the group has not and will not develop an official stance on the conflict but said that Trump’s references to Gaza should be taken with a grain of salt.
“What we need to understand is that President Trump wants peace,” Sugawara said. “I bet people take his words literally. Oftentimes, he uses his words as leverage to bring leaders to the table for a conversation.”
Ziniab I., president of SFSU’s General Union of Palestine Students, condemned Trump’s statement, calling it “a ridiculous claim” rooted in “white supremacy and ethnic cleansing.” She said that Trump has no authority over Gaza.
The SFSU student-led pro-Palestinian movement last year successfully pushed the administration to meet three of its four demands — disclose the university’s institutional contributions toward Israeli occupation, divest financially from companies and partnerships and defend the Pro-Palestinian campus community from censorship threats — but the demand for the university to “declare the illegal occupation, colonization and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people and the U.S.-Israeli genocide on Gaza” was left unmet. Now, with renewed global discourse and President Trump’s recent proposal for a U.S. takeover of Gaza, student activists at SFSU reaffirm their alignment with pro-Palestinian advocacy.
“Students, no matter what, will not let an ethnic cleansing of Palestine take place,” said Ziniab. “Many students are ready, and I think they’re going to be ready to mobilize if that’s the case.”
While there isn’t an encampment at SFSU at the time, pro-Palestinian activists recognize the achievements of the university meeting three out of four demands.
“We’re really proud of our accomplishments to even achieve three demands,” said Ziniab. “We’re privileged to come from a space like SFSU where there’s historical base building, organizing and fighting for not just the rights of students but international human rights.”
Yan also added his insight on the continued student activism in response to Trump’s policies.
“He has become bolder in his assertions about his plans for Gaza,” Yan said. “Students are angry, and at some point, there’s a breaking point where students will have to do something. Whether or not there’s something currently in the works, something will happen.”
Ziniab believes that with Trump’s recent statements, the urgency of their movement has only intensified, prompting renewed efforts to pressure SFSU into taking a stronger stance on Palestinian rights and issues regarding attacks on marginalized communities. Student activism at SFSU has been deeply intertwined with other social justice efforts, including protecting the undocumented community.
“Especially regarding the threats of ICE on campus or in our communities, the threats against undocumented students — I think that is all intersectional,” Ziniab said. “Students will always be ready to mobilize when there’s a threat against their communities and their safety.”
Yan said Trump has “been emboldened” during his second presidential term, and students are bound to react.
“He has become bolder in his assertions about his plans for Gaza,” Yan said. “Students are angry, and at some point, there’s a breaking point where students will have to do something. And you know, whether or not there’s something currently in the works, something will happen.”
While the pro-Palestinian movement has gained momentum, it has also caused tensions with the SFSU Jewish community. Roger Fiegelson, the executive director of SF Hillel, noted contradictions in the messaging of last year’s pro-Palestinian encampment.
“In front of the encampment was a sign that said, ‘Always be welcoming,’ but it also said ‘No Zionists allowed,’” he said. “So there’s a contradiction in those two points right there.” “The ‘No Zionists allowed’ is tragic because it doesn’t allow for any conversation.”
Ari F., a member of SF Hillel, defined Zionism as “the Jewish people’s indigenous right to self-determination.”
“My personal identity with that term has to do with our right to exist in that land with self-determination,” Ari said. “Most Jewish people are happy to share the land as long as the people we’re sharing it with also want to do so peacefully.”
Fiegelson said that the campus climate has made it difficult for Jewish and Palestinian students to find common ground as some of them are worried about foreign policies.
“I think a lot of frustrations on either side are shared frustrations, but there’s no opportunity to come together and understand that there is a commonality here,” he said. “There are big differences, but there are also commonalities, and there’s no opportunity to discuss them.”
One year after the encampment, both GUPS and SF Hillel continue to foster community and cultural education. According to Ziniab, GUPS is focusing on base building within the student body and organizing events such as their annual Policy Awareness Week in April, political education workshops and film screenings in March. Fiegelson said SF Hillel continues to provide a safe space for Jewish students through weekly Shabbat gatherings, Rosh Hashanah celebrations and focused on mourning, art and recreation.
Ari emphasized the importance of cultural exchange and dialogue beyond politics.
“The Jewish people aren’t going anywhere. The Palestinian people aren’t going anywhere,” he said. “We need to find a way to coexist and start having these conversations. I really think learning about each other’s cultures and sharing our identity, not tied to any politics, is the most important way we can do that.”
