Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Valley Students Speak Out Amid Israel-Hamas Conflict, Urge UC Merced, Stanislaus State to Act
272250312_101711199091750_7388131743697410144_n
By Central Valley Journalism Collaborative
Published 2 years ago on
November 1, 2023

Share

As the conflict in the Gaza Strip escalates in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the war’s shock waves are being felt here in the San Joaquin Valley.

Rachel Livinal portrait

Rachel Livinal

KVPR

Students gathered in Turlock at California State University Stanislaus’ quad on Monday to chant for Palestinian rights, as the war’s death toll continues to rise, particularly among civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Monday’s demonstration against the war was one of several in recent weeks at Valley universities and other locations.

At nearby UC Merced, anti-war protests that each drew more than a hundred students followed a resolution that passed the university’s student senate last week.

The resolution urged the 10-campus University of California system to “divest from companies that are actively supporting Israel in carrying out the genocide in Palestine.”

However, UC Merced Student President Miguel Craven chose Tuesday to veto the resolution.

Still, the resolution, the first of its kind to pass by a UC campus student government since the war broke out, is a significant step for students like Jeneen Barakat, a fourth-year Palestinian student at UC Merced, who said she has been personally affected by the conflict.

“I hope (the resolution) creates a ripple effect throughout the other UCs to raise our voices enough to have the UC follow through and divest from Israel,” Barakat said.

The resolution also asked the UC system to rescind a joint statement made by UC Chancellors in 2018 that prohibited an academic boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement.

Craven, the student president, said signing the resolution would have ignored students who were too afraid to speak up during the protests.

“It is not fair that the resolution was written from one lens,” Craven said.

Students plan to protest again during Wednesday’s student government meeting.

UC Merced officials have not addressed the local resolution directly but did say they will provide counseling to those who need support.

Example for Other Universities?

Stanislaus State students have yet to write a resolution of their own but chose to protest the university’s neutral response in their emails sent out to other students. Those students hope to
create something similar to the UC resolution.

“We’re still getting a group joined together,” said Stanislaus State student Sahar Fayaz. “We’re not part of any student organizations, just independent students coming in and protesting. So
we’re trying to get to that kind of level.”

“This is supposed to be the most diverse and safe place for different kinds of communities and it’s the place where they reject us,” said Nataly Hernandez, a fourth-year student at Stanislaus
State. “That is ridiculous.”

UC Merced and Stanislaus State are not the only universities seeing a rise in student activism over the war. Protests have spread to university campuses nationwide, stirring debates about
the roots of the conflict and whether it can ever be resolved.

Some Students May Be Hesitant to Speak Out

All of the protests in the Merced region have been peaceful thus far. In other areas of California, some demonstrations have been tense. Ariel Mizrahi, a Jewish member of UC Berkeley’s student senate, told the San Francisco Chronicle she has been sent hateful messages and called names.

“There is so much hostility making us feel uncomfortable on campus,” she told the Chronicle. “My community is already in mourning. The other side – they say they’re being harassed? What about us? A lot of Jewish people are liberal, but we feel lost and alone right now.”

Roger Feigelson, the executive director of San Francisco Hillel, told CVJC that some students feel “skittish” about the war and have been hiding their Jewish identities due to the protests.

The Associated Press has reported that 1,400 people have been killed on the Israeli side of the conflict. Most of those deaths happened during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, which sparked the war.

Thousands have died in the Gaza Strip following the response by Israel to the attack by Hamas. The Gaza Health Ministry has put the Palestinian death toll at 8,300, most of whom are women and children, the Associated Press reported.

About the Author

Rachel Livinal covers higher education for KVPR in Fresno and the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative, a nonprofit newsroom based in Merced.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

LA Dodgers Pledge $1 Million to Support Families Impacted by ICE Raids

DON'T MISS

Pakistan to Nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

DON'T MISS

Vance, in Los Angeles, Says Troops Need to Stay, Blasts Newsom Over Immigration

DON'T MISS

Nuclear Diplomacy Stuck, Israel Says It Killed Top Iran Commander

DON'T MISS

Mahmoud Khalil Vows to Resume Pro-Palestinian Activism After Release From US Jail

DON'T MISS

Trump Says He Wants to Fund More Trade Schools. Just Not These.

DON'T MISS

Two Days of Terror: How the Minnesota Shooter Evaded Police and Got Caught

DON'T MISS

B-2 Bombers Moving to Guam Amid Middle East Tensions, US Officials Say

DON'T MISS

Israeli Strike on Tehran Kills Bodyguard of Slain Hezbollah Chief

DON'T MISS

Bentley the Porch-Crasher Pup Hopes for a Forever Home

UP NEXT

Pakistan to Nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

UP NEXT

Vance, in Los Angeles, Says Troops Need to Stay, Blasts Newsom Over Immigration

UP NEXT

Nuclear Diplomacy Stuck, Israel Says It Killed Top Iran Commander

UP NEXT

Mahmoud Khalil Vows to Resume Pro-Palestinian Activism After Release From US Jail

UP NEXT

Trump Says He Wants to Fund More Trade Schools. Just Not These.

UP NEXT

Two Days of Terror: How the Minnesota Shooter Evaded Police and Got Caught

UP NEXT

B-2 Bombers Moving to Guam Amid Middle East Tensions, US Officials Say

UP NEXT

Israeli Strike on Tehran Kills Bodyguard of Slain Hezbollah Chief

UP NEXT

Bentley the Porch-Crasher Pup Hopes for a Forever Home

UP NEXT

The Secret to Finding the Best Travel Bargains

Tulare County’s Colvin Fire Ignites With 80 Personnel on Scene

2 hours ago

US B-2 Bombers Involved in Iran Strikes, U.S. Official Says

2 hours ago

Trump Says Iran’s Key Nuclear Sites ‘Obliterated’ by Airstrikes

2 hours ago

LA Dodgers Pledge $1 Million to Support Families Impacted by ICE Raids

7 hours ago

Pakistan to Nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

7 hours ago

Vance, in Los Angeles, Says Troops Need to Stay, Blasts Newsom Over Immigration

7 hours ago

Nuclear Diplomacy Stuck, Israel Says It Killed Top Iran Commander

7 hours ago

Mahmoud Khalil Vows to Resume Pro-Palestinian Activism After Release From US Jail

8 hours ago

Trump Says He Wants to Fund More Trade Schools. Just Not These.

8 hours ago

Two Days of Terror: How the Minnesota Shooter Evaded Police and Got Caught

8 hours ago

Congress Members Split Over US Attack on Iran

WASHINGTON  – Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. Congress delivered swift reactions to U.S. bombings of Iranian nuclear fac...

34 minutes ago

The U.S. Capitol building is seen in Washington, U.S., December 1, 2023. (Reuters File)
34 minutes ago

Congress Members Split Over US Attack on Iran

Emergency personnel work at an impact site following Iran's missile strike on Israel, amid the Iran-Israel conflict, in Haifa, Israel, June 20, 2025. (Reuters File)
38 minutes ago

Investors Brace for Oil Price Spike, Rush to Havens After US Bombs Iran Nuclear Sites

President Donald Trump gestures next to a new flagpole with the U.S. flag after disembarking Marine One upon arrival at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 21, 2025. (Reuters/Kevin Mohatt)
2 hours ago

Investors React to US Attack on Iran Nuclear Sites

A wildfire dubbed the Colvin Fire broke out Saturday near Woodlake in Tulare County, burning 46 acres with 0% containment and threatening two structures, according to CalFire. (CalFire)
2 hours ago

Tulare County’s Colvin Fire Ignites With 80 Personnel on Scene

2 hours ago

US B-2 Bombers Involved in Iran Strikes, U.S. Official Says

A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber takes off at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, April 30, 2025. U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Joshua Hastings/Handout via REUTERS
2 hours ago

Trump Says Iran’s Key Nuclear Sites ‘Obliterated’ by Airstrikes

Oct 24, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the centerfield plaza during media prior to game one of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images/File Photo
7 hours ago

LA Dodgers Pledge $1 Million to Support Families Impacted by ICE Raids

President Donald Trump talks to reporters upon his arrival at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, U.S., June 20, 2025. (Reuters File)
7 hours ago

Pakistan to Nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend