MIAMI – As the Gaza war inflames passions on college campuses nationwide, pro-Palestinian sentiment has led Florida International University’s student government to demand that the school take steps against Israel.
In an exclusive interview with Local 10 News Tuesday, Kenneth A. Jessell, the President of Florida International University, said he is withholding judgment until the school’s student Senate debates and signs off on its resolution, not only to ask for a ceasefire, but one that uses loaded language such as “oppression, regime and genocide” involving Israel.
“I’m not prepared to say anything about what we might do on a resolution that may or may not even pass,” said Jessell.
It suggests his two statements last month were not enough.
“When you look at my original communications to the university community, it focused on terrorism, and it focused on atrocities. So I stand by those statements,” said Jessell.
The draft resolution in part suggests Hamas was driven to attack and brutalize Israeli families.
FIU has not seen the kinds of protests that other American universities are having.
Jessell attributes that to a diverse student population in a diverse city.
“There have been posters about the problem and like how FIU supports it,” said Pearl Cetoute, a freshman at FIU.
But save for a few signs students said they’ve seen, the debate isn’t highly visible at FIU, where Local 10 News spoke with students who acknowledged that most students generally need more facts and historical context.
“I would say people my age get their news from social media which can be often misleading,” said Levi Comer, a student at FIU.
“If there are inaccuracies as part of the resolution or inaccuracies in respect to the references that are cited, that will come out during the deliberation process,” said Jessell.
Jessell says he respects the process student government process and values free speech.