Jewish students who witnessed the massive anti-Israel protests in New York City on Monday offered strong messages of support for the Israeli people and spoke out against antisemitism on college campuses.
Sam, a student at New York University (NYU), told Fox News Digital that he and his Jewish friends were "completely engulfed" by anti-Israel protesters within 20 minutes of arriving at Washington Square Park.
Sam and his fellow Jewish students were not harmed during the event, and they thanked the New York Police Department (NYPD) for keeping them safe.
During the "Within Our Lifetime" protest at the park, anti-Israel demonstrators engaged in chants that called for Israeli citizens to "go back home" and criticized Jewish students when they gathered to sing Hebrew hymns.
ONE YEAR AFTER 10/7 ATTACKS AND DEMOCRAT-RUN STATES HAVE LET ANTISEMITISM FESTER
Police in the area successfully kept the opposing protest groups at bay, often breaking up tense arguments and erecting barricades to separate them. During one tense exchange, two anti-Israel protesters held up an Israeli flag to Jewish students before placing it on the ground. They proceeded to stomp and kick the flag a few feet from one of the barricades.
Later, an anti-Israel protester repeatedly blew a loud air horn into the face of a Jewish student, who eventually put on noise-canceling headphones to drown out the sound.
Sam told Fox News Digital that he feels heard and respected at NYU. However, he noted that feeling does not hold true outside the classroom.
"That doesn’t reflect 100 feet out of the classroom up to the park or when I’m walking," he said. "If I have any Jewish symbols on – on Friday nights I wear a Kippah. I’m yelled at. Sometimes, people will make rude comments to me in passing."
AS OCTOBER 7TH ANNIVERSARY APPROACHES, JEWISH STUDENTS BRACE FOR PROTESTS, VOW TO ‘WALK PROUDLY’
University of Pittsburgh student Racheli told Fox News Digital that she traveled over five hours from Pennsylvania to support Jewish students facing antisemitism and show them they are "not alone."
"College is supposed to be a time of community and learning – but instead they’re feeling threatened in their own campuses," she said.
Racheli solemnly revealed that two of her elementary school classmates were murdered during the Nova Music Festival terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
"The only thing that Israel has ever done is protect its people, and they have the right to exist, and we want to exist in peace with all around us," she added.
ON OCT. 7 ANNIVERSARY, WE REMEMBER THIS BETRAYAL OF SILENCE
Sam also weighed in on the October 7 anniversary, calling it the most "tragic" attack against Jewish people since the Holocaust.
"October 6 was the last night we went to sleep with a full heart. Since then, it’s been devastation. It’s been every day, constant tragedy," he continued.
The 2023 attack perpetrated by Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people in the worst day of violence against Jews since the Holocaust. Hamas also took hundreds of hostages.
There are roughly 100 hostages reported to still remain in Gaza, and it is believed that fewer than 70 of them are alive. More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the war, according to the Associated Press.
