Ilhan Omar: Biden’s Decision to Withhold Arms from Israel Aligns with Young Protesters’ Demands

Omar wrote on X that Biden’s remarks about “not supplying” Israel with weapons to invade Rafah was “what young people throughout the country” were protesting, referring the anti-Israel encampments on college and university campuses.

Isra Hirsi was arrested and suspended from Columbia University for her participation in an anti Israel encampment set up on April 17 at Columbia University. This led to other universities setting up encampments.

The protesters that participated in various encampments or demonstrations issued a variety of demands. They included calling on their universities to divest themselves from Israeli companies; ending academic ties to Israeli educational institutions; ending academic student trips abroad to Israel; a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the ongoing conflict, and for the U.S. not to arm Israel.

Omar wrote: “This was what young people all over the country protested for, and finally there has been a noticeable change. “I hope that we will see more progress. But don’t let anyone tell you your voice is meaningless or your actions worthless. We can always bend the arc of what’s possible.

In an interview with CNN, Biden stated that the U.S. had “made clear” that it would not supply weapons to Israel if they began a full-scale attack on Rafah.

Biden said that “citizens in Gaza have died as a result of these bombs and the other ways they target population centers.”

Biden said: “I made clear that if they go to Rafah they haven’t been to Rafah before, if they go to Rafah – I won’t supply the weapons that were used historically to fight Rafah and the cities.

Israel took control of its border crossing with Egypt on Tuesday after Hamas launched a barrage of rockets from Rafah towards Kerem Shalom.