Of all the anti-Israel protests, this one has got to be the most bizarre. In a shocking incident, a pro-Palestinian protester set herself on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, Georgia.
The incident comes amid Israel’s effort to eliminate Hamas in Gaza and follows a number of high-profile protests taking place in major cities across the United States. Not only does this episode show that anti-Israel sentiment is still burning strong, but it also reveals the lengths to which some of these individuals will go to express their fiery hot hatred of the Jewish state.
Two people were injured in an incident at 1100 Spring Street NW in Midtown Atlanta on Friday afternoon, according to Atlanta Police Department.
Several businesses and the Israeli Consulate are located in the building.
Police say a person who was in possession of a Palestinian flag set themselves on fire outside of the building.
It appears that the protester arrived around 12:17 p.m. A guard attempted to intervene but was unsuccessful.
The protester was badly burned and transported to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition.
The guard was burned on the leg and wrist and was also taken to the hospital. The guard’s exact condition is unknown.
This incident is not only disturbing but also raises questions about how far some of these folks will go to express their anti-Israel sentiments. Self-immolation happens to be a grotesque form of protest with a long history in other countries but not so much in the West.
This could easily be an isolated incident, but what if it isn’t? Tensions over the war in the Middle East have been rising ever since it started on October 7. There have already been violent attacks against Jewish and Palestinian Americans.
The situation has become so pronounced that alarming numbers of Jewish college students are concealing their identities out of fear of violence and other repercussions. Anti-Israel demonstrations on campus have become more aggressive, with multiple instances of pro-Palestinian protesters threatening those who are pro-Israel, especially if they are Jewish.
This trend has been marked by incidents of violence and threats coming from the anti-Israel crowd, and it is affecting Jewish students, regardless of where they stand on the war. A recent survey suggests that over one-third of Jewish students indicated they feel the need to conceal their identities due to fears of being targeted.
There are 37% of Jewish college students in the United States who report feeling compelled to hide their Jewish identity due to safety concerns, according to a new survey from Hillel International on Monday. This significant percentage underscores the growing challenges and fears experienced by Jewish students in the current academic environment, particularly following the October 7 Hamas attack.
Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International, expressed deep concern about these findings. “The alarming trend of Jewish students feeling unsafe and needing to conceal their identity is a direct reflection of the increasing hostility and antisemitic incidents on campuses,” Lehman stated in a press release. He emphasized the urgent need for university administrations to actively address these issues and provide a safer environment for Jewish students.
The severity of the protest in Atlanta highlights just how tense the political environment has become. Hopefully, the violence doesn’t continue to escalate.
