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As students return to college campuses, we are once again witnessing the disturbing rise of anti-Israel and anti-American sentiment, often masquerading as legitimate protest. But this year, there’s a more insidious force at play — one that should serve as a wake-up call to everyone, from university administrators to political leaders such as President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. It’s time to confront the uncomfortable truth: Iran is financing some of these protests, using them as tools to further its own agenda of destabilization and hate.
Last month, National Intelligence Director Avril Haines confirmed what many of us have long suspected: Tehran is behind the funding of certain anti-Israel, anti-American protest activities in the United States. This revelation is not just a footnote in the ongoing geopolitical struggle; it’s a clarion call for action. As Danielle Pletka and Stephen Ailinger highlighted in National Review, Haines’ disclosure is a “warning about Iran’s ability to manipulate American civil society.” It calls attention to the urgent need to declassify and publicize more intelligence about Iran’s influence operations on American soil.
For too long, these protests have been dismissed by some as “organic” expressions of discontent, with figures like Biden and Harris even suggesting that the protesters “have a point.” But now, with concrete evidence of foreign manipulation, it’s clear that such complacency is not just naive; it’s dangerous. The idea that these protests are merely the spontaneous outpourings of concern for Palestinian rights is a fiction — one that Iran is more than happy to perpetuate as it seeks to sow division and chaos in the West.
Let’s be clear: many of the young people participating in these protests are undoubtedly sincere in their beliefs, however misguided. But their understanding of the situation is shaped by a toxic combination of radical left-wing professors, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) agendas, and external agitators funded by a regime that openly calls for the destruction of Israel and the annihilation of Jews. These students have been fed a steady diet of lies, leading them to believe that Israel is committing “genocide” against Palestinians — a vile and baseless accusation that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The reality is that Israel has gone to extraordinary lengths to protect Palestinian civilians, even at the cost of its own soldiers’ lives. Contrast this with Hamas, Iran’s ally, which cynically uses Palestinian civilians as human shields while openly declaring its genocidal intentions towards Jews. The true architects of destruction and genocide are not in Jerusalem but in Tehran and Gaza, where the lives of Palestinians are treated as expendable in the pursuit of a hateful ideology.
The role of Iran in fomenting anti-Israel sentiment on American campuses is not just a matter of foreign policy; it’s a direct attack on the fabric of American society. By funding outside agitators and pro-Palestinian groups, Iran is not merely expressing opposition to Israeli policies — it is actively working to incite anti-Jewish hatred in the United States. This is not free speech; it is foreign interference designed to manipulate young minds and destabilize communities.
The Biden administration’s reluctance to confront this reality head-on is not just disappointing; it’s a dereliction of duty. By failing to acknowledge the external forces at work, they are, in effect, enabling those who would turn American campuses into hotbeds of anti-Semitism and division. It’s time for Biden, Harris, and other political leaders to stop being “useful idiots” in Iran’s campaign of hate. They must recognize that what’s at stake is not just the reputation of a distant ally, but the integrity of American democracy itself.
We must shine a spotlight on Iran’s protest-financing and influence operations, making it clear to students and the broader public that these demonstrations are not the grassroots movements they appear to be. They are the product of a sophisticated propaganda effort aimed at undermining the very values of tolerance and coexistence that these protests claim to champion.
On Monday, as Cornell University kicked off its first day of classes, anti-Israel protesters smashed a glass doorway and spray-painted inflammatory messages such as “Israel bombs and Cornell pays.” Just days earlier, similar protests disrupted move-in day at Barnard College, with gatherings also taking place at Columbia University. These aren’t isolated incidents; they are part of a larger pattern of aggressive, anti-Israel demonstrations that have increasingly plagued American campuses in recent years.
The question that looms over these protests is simple yet critical: How much of this unrest is being fueled by Iranian money? Which groups are receiving this funding, and how are they using it to support and incite violence? These are questions that Americans deserve answers to, particularly now, as students return to campuses where these protests are likely to intensify.
The role of Iran in fomenting anti-Israel sentiment in the United States is not a new concern, but it is one that has taken on renewed urgency in light of recent events. We know that Iran has a vested interest in spreading its influence and destabilizing American society, especially through the manipulation of public discourse around Israel and the broader Middle East. But the specifics of how Iranian funds are being funneled into these protest movements remain shrouded in secrecy.
This lack of transparency is not just a matter of academic curiosity; it is a national security concern. Americans cannot effectively combat an enemy they do not fully understand. The public has a right to know how foreign powers such as Iran are attempting to skew U.S. public discourse, particularly in ways that incite violence and hatred on our college campuses.
One of the most effective tools in countering these foreign influence operations is the declassification and publicizing of intelligence. We’ve seen this strategy work before. When the U.S. government exposed Russia’s plans to stage a false-flag operation in Ukraine in 2022, it effectively undermined Moscow’s pretext for invasion and rallied international support against Russian aggression. A similar approach can be used to counter Iran’s attempts to manipulate American public opinion and incite violence.
By declassifying and sharing information about Iran’s funding of anti-Israel protests, we can not only expose the truth but also empower students, faculty, and the broader public to make informed decisions. Knowledge is power, and in this case, it’s the power to push back against foreign efforts to divide and destabilize our society.
Congress has a vital role to play in this effort. Lawmakers must demand that intelligence agencies share what they know about Iran’s involvement in these protests. This is not just about holding Iran accountable; it’s about safeguarding the integrity of American democracy and ensuring that our campuses remain places of learning, not battlegrounds for foreign influence operations.
The stakes are too high to remain in the dark. The violence and intimidation tactics used by anti-Israel protesters on college campuses are not simply a matter of free speech gone awry; they are the result of a calculated effort to spread fear and disrupt the educational environment. If these efforts are being financed or supported by a hostile foreign power, Americans have a right to know.
Transparency is not just a policy preference; it’s a necessity. By shining a light on how Iranian funds are being used to foment unrest on American soil, we can begin to dismantle the networks that support these protests and protect our institutions of higher learning from becoming pawns in a broader geopolitical struggle.
The American public must demand clarity and accountability. We must know which groups are receiving Iranian money, how it’s being used to incite violence, and what steps our government is taking to counter this threat. Only by exposing these details can we effectively combat the influence of foreign powers on our campuses and ensure that our students are free to learn and engage in honest discourse without fear of manipulation or violence.
