Israel’s president weighed in on the massive antisemitic encampments that have sprouted up at elite colleges and universities across the United States, condemning the “masked cowards” who “smash windows and barricade doors.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed those in the Jewish community on these campuses and around the world that feel victimized by the demonstrations.

“In the face of violence, harassment, and intimidation, as masked cowards smash windows and barricade doors, assault the truth and manipulate history, together, we stand strong,” President Herzog said in a video address.

“As they chant for infitada and genocide, we will work together to free our hostages held by Hamas and fight for civil liberties of the entire free world and our right to believe and belong and the right to live proudly, peacefully and securely as Jews and as Israelis anywhere,” he added.

UCLA FORCED TO MOVE TO REMOTE LEARNING AMID ANTISEMITIC PROTESTS, ENCAMPMENT ON CAMPUS

Herzog’s address comes as a multi-agency group of law enforcement officers on Thursday moved onto the University of California, Los Angeles campus to remove an anti-Israel encampment that was declared unlawful.

“We see prominent academic institutions, halls of history, culture and education, contaminated by hatred and antisemitism fueled by arrogance and ignorance, driven by moral failings and disinformation,” Herzog said. “We watch in horror as the atrocities of Oct. 7 against Israel are celebrated and justified. We hear you. We recognize your heroic effort. We are with you. We are here for you.”

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY FACILITIES WORKER SPEAKS OUT AFTER TERROR TAKEOVER: ‘THEY HELD ME HOSTAGE’

“Dear sisters and brothers, to our friends on campuses and in Jewish communities across the United States and all over the world, to those who stand by and defend the Jewish people and the state of Israel, to all people of good will, the people of Israel are with you,” he continued. “We hear you.”

Herzog added: “We see the shameless hostility and threats. We feel the insults, the breach of faith and breach of friendship. We share the apprehension and concern.

President Herzog’s comments come as anti-Israel agitators formed an encampment on the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles. (Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

His comments come just days before Holocaust Remembrance Day, which will be recognized on Monday, May 6.

UCLA FALLS TO ANARCHY AFTER COUNTERPROTESTERS CONFRONT ANTI-ISRAELI ENCAMPMENT: ‘HORRIFIC ACTS OF VIOLENCE’

“Together we will overcome this resurgence of antisemitism. Do not fear. Stand proud. Stand strong for your freedom. Israel stands with you. Israel cares for you,” Herzog concluded.

Police officers detained anti-Israel protesters who chanted antisemitic remarks and slogans on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in Los Angeles. (ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images)

In contrast, Iran has expressed support for anti-Israeli demonstrations that have erupted across elite U.S. colleges and universities.

Last month, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian defended the hundreds of students who have been arrested at UCLA, Columbia University, the University of Southern California, UT-Austin and others for disrupting campus facilities and trespassing.

“The suppression and harsh treatment of the American police and security forces against professors and students protesting the genocide and war crimes of the Israeli regime in various universities of this country is deeply worried and disgusted by the public opinion of the world,” the foreign minister said on X, according to a translation.

He added: “This repression is in line with the continuation of Washington’s full-fledged support for the Israeli regime and clearly shows the dual policy and contradictory behavior of the American government towards freedom of expression.”

Police at UCLA faced off against a left-wing mob on Thursday morning, when officers dismantled an anti-Israel encampment and took agitators into custody.

Officers wearing riot gear knocked down a plywood barrier surrounding UCLA’s Dickson Plaza, where the anti-Israel encampment was being held, entered the area and began conducting arrests throughout the morning.

As the European elections approach, a new group of Members of the European Parliament will soon take office, tasked with navigating the turbulent waters of global volatility and the immense challenges Europe is currently grappling with. 

In this shifting geopolitical landscape, uncertainty and conflict threaten European values and way of life, underscoring the urgent need to bolster the continent’s security and adopt a strong stance in the bloc’s foreign and security policy. 

EU voters must remember the significance of collective security when they cast their votes in early June, considering the broader implications of their choices for our future. 

As voters, we must make informed decisions that will ensure the stability and prosperity of the union.

Like the rest of the world, the EU is currently grappling with a multitude of issues that are directly impacting the lives and future of its citizens. 

From a deteriorating climate to a cost-of-living crisis, energy insecurity, migration pressures, and a surge of conflicts both within and outside Europe. 

While all these issues are important, it is unrealistic to expect that we can address them all at once. As voters, we must ask ourselves, where should we direct our attention and energy for the most effective long-term impact?

War keeps knocking on our door

Looking back at our shared history can give us a clue. Here, we must acknowledge the European Union’s roots as a peace and economic development project. 

The EU has, in this regard, been a successful endeavour. Through increased cooperation and burden sharing, we have witnessed a period of unity and progress never seen before on the continent. 

While the EU was never without faults, we must reflect on the challenges faced by our British brothers and sisters in the wake of Brexit. It is clear to see that member states are stronger and better off standing together.

As EU voters, we must stand together as we look towards the future, recognising that while the EU peace project has been successful, not everyone agrees with the union’s approach. 

War is knocking on our door, and as the Ukrainian people pay the ultimate price for resisting the aggression they face, we must acknowledge that the very same threat is encroaching on our external borders. 

This war threatens the organic and consensual growth of the union. As such, EU voters must reflect on their role in European security and the need to embrace collective security responsibilities with a sense of urgency.

Being complacent and disinterested won’t do it any more

After enjoying decades of peace under the EU umbrella, European voters have grown complacent and disinterested in security policy and defence spending. 

However, in light of the current reality, if EU voters genuinely desire peace and economic prosperity, they must collectively shoulder the responsibility for security and defence in the EU. 

This implies making tough choices in the coming years, as matching up to Russia’s projected defence spending of 8% of GDP in 2024 will require sacrifices. It’s time for the EU, where most member states still fall short of the 2% NATO commitment, to embrace collective security responsibilities.

For decades, Europe has relied on others for its collective security. Still, with the horrors of war returning to European soil and Trumpian cracks emerging in the close-knit alliance with our US cousins, it is evident that the status quo is broken. 

It is increasingly clear that EU voters must once again look to the age-old Latin adage _si vis parcem para bellum_— “if you want peace, prepare for war” — to better position the European Union in the world. 

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For a brighter future, the EU must take on a concerted effort to advance European security and defence, deter aggression, and safeguard our shared values and heritage.

For all EU citizens, it is crucial to ensure that security and defence are a clear priority in the European elections in June, ensuring that we collectively push for the continent’s strategic autonomy and further enable it to protect not only itself, its values, and its interests, but also its neighbours from hostile actors. 

While strategic autonomy for Europe is a long-term ambition, we must face the fact that our inability to provide the support required for Ukraine to defend itself against an existential threat could easily define the fate of European security for all of us.

No more empty lip service, please

Guiding Europe towards a future of credible deterrence, a more balanced transatlantic partnership in NATO, and the ability to respond to critical threats to the union is crucial. 

EU voters must strive for a future where threats to our borders, our near-abroad, or even the vital global supply lines we rely on can be addressed with a combination of cohesive diplomacy and credible deterrence. 

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With this in mind, voters must cast their ballots with determination, fully understanding the need and urgency for a robust European Union. 

Come June, citizens must elect European lawmakers who will not pay lip service to our collective security needs and are not afraid to push uncomfortable yet necessary policies. 

With so many threats on the horizon, we need a union that can navigate the turbulent seas of the future and protect the European dream of peace and prosperity for its people and global neighbours. 

Without a vote in favour of our security, we cannot hope to continue our lives in peace, further progress and development. 

Alexander Borum is Policy Leader Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence, focusing on the European Union Common Security and Defence Policy.

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