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NYU, Columbia Students Now Link Israel to "Genocide," Poll Signals
(MENAFN) A growing number of university students across New York are naming "genocide" as the word they most closely associate with Israel, a trend that underscores a broader erosion in the country's standing among young Americans.
Ongoing military campaigns, land seizures, and documented rights abuses in Gaza and the occupied West Bank have driven many students to question Israel's legitimacy on the world stage.
Anadolu conducted a series of interviews at two Manhattan campuses — New York University (NYU) and Columbia University — and found a striking pattern: young people overwhelmingly landed on the same word when asked to describe their first impression of Israel.
Samuel, an NYU student, told Anadolu that the first thing that comes to mind is the genocide he believes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is carrying out against Palestinians. Asked to name his top three associations, he offered: "Netanyahu, genocide and Palestine."
A second NYU student, Maddy, visibly unsettled at the mention of Israel, said "genocide" was the word that surfaced most powerfully in her mind. She described the association as "scary," adding that she sees Israel as a nation wielding overwhelming military force against a far weaker adversary.
Not every student was willing to engage. A group collecting donations on behalf of a campus organization refused to comment and ended the interview altogether once they realized the subject was Israel.
Over at Columbia, a student named Rom took a different tack, responding to the same prompt with "Let's save the world," before adding, "Let's maintain peace."
The campus sentiment echoes a stark warning recently issued by Naftali Bennett, Israel's former prime minister, about how the country is now perceived in the United States.
"For the first time since the establishment of the State of Israel, among the American public, Israel has become a negative brand," Bennett said in a recent interview.
"If you ask an American student, 'Israel — what comes to mind?' They say genocide. That's the situation," he said.
Bennett illustrated the shift by comparing it to how nations are typically linked to cultural symbols: "You say Italy — 'pasta, spaghetti.' You say Israel — 'baby killers.'"
The remarks come against a grim backdrop. Gaza's Health Ministry reports that more than 73,300 Palestinians have died and over 174,200 have been wounded since Israel's offensive began in October 2023.
Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are currently the subject of International Criminal Court arrest warrants over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.
Separately, South Africa brought a case against Israel before the International Court of Justice on Dec. 29, 2023, accusing it of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention.
Ongoing military campaigns, land seizures, and documented rights abuses in Gaza and the occupied West Bank have driven many students to question Israel's legitimacy on the world stage.
Anadolu conducted a series of interviews at two Manhattan campuses — New York University (NYU) and Columbia University — and found a striking pattern: young people overwhelmingly landed on the same word when asked to describe their first impression of Israel.
Samuel, an NYU student, told Anadolu that the first thing that comes to mind is the genocide he believes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is carrying out against Palestinians. Asked to name his top three associations, he offered: "Netanyahu, genocide and Palestine."
A second NYU student, Maddy, visibly unsettled at the mention of Israel, said "genocide" was the word that surfaced most powerfully in her mind. She described the association as "scary," adding that she sees Israel as a nation wielding overwhelming military force against a far weaker adversary.
Not every student was willing to engage. A group collecting donations on behalf of a campus organization refused to comment and ended the interview altogether once they realized the subject was Israel.
Over at Columbia, a student named Rom took a different tack, responding to the same prompt with "Let's save the world," before adding, "Let's maintain peace."
The campus sentiment echoes a stark warning recently issued by Naftali Bennett, Israel's former prime minister, about how the country is now perceived in the United States.
"For the first time since the establishment of the State of Israel, among the American public, Israel has become a negative brand," Bennett said in a recent interview.
"If you ask an American student, 'Israel — what comes to mind?' They say genocide. That's the situation," he said.
Bennett illustrated the shift by comparing it to how nations are typically linked to cultural symbols: "You say Italy — 'pasta, spaghetti.' You say Israel — 'baby killers.'"
The remarks come against a grim backdrop. Gaza's Health Ministry reports that more than 73,300 Palestinians have died and over 174,200 have been wounded since Israel's offensive began in October 2023.
Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are currently the subject of International Criminal Court arrest warrants over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.
Separately, South Africa brought a case against Israel before the International Court of Justice on Dec. 29, 2023, accusing it of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention.
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