Benjamin Kersten, a Jewish graduate student at UCLA and a pro-Palestinian protester, has expressed his pride in the students at the university who are actively involved in a student-led activist effort regarding Israel's war in Gaza. Kersten emphasized the importance of remaining principled and clear-eyed about the stakes involved in the conflict.
As a student in the United States, Kersten highlighted the refusal of complicity in the escalation of violence and called for the divestment of UCLA funds from weapons manufacturing and companies complicit in what he described as Israeli genocide, occupation, and apartheid.
He advocated for the implementation of binding policies that promote more just and democratic investment principles within the university setting.
Pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses nationwide have consistently called for divestment from Israel in various capacities.
Kersten expressed optimism about the effectiveness of campus protests, citing past successes in pressuring universities to divest from conditions of apartheid. He believes that sustained pressure from students can lead to positive outcomes.
Additionally, Kersten acknowledged the minimal risks that students face in participating in these protests compared to the challenges Palestinians endure in Gaza.
