Coconino News

Rep. Austin Smith criticized Arizona State University for hosting a pro-Palestinian rally after previously condemning conservative speakers Charlie Kirk and Dennis Prager. Smith's statement comes in the wake of the recent attack by Hamas on Israel, which resulted in significant casualties.

"I’m sure the two dozen geniuses at the Barrett Honors are lining up to condemn this," Smith remarked.

The Arizona State University chapter of the National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) organized rallies in support of Palestine and in favor of the recent Hamas attacks. One such rally took place last Sunday at Tempe Beach Park. Similar rallies are planned on other college campuses across the United States, organized by their respective NSJP chapters, including Butler University, University of Louisville, University of Birmingham, and the University of Virginia, as reported by the Arizona Daily Independent.

Hamas, an Islamist militant group and designated terrorist organization, initiated airstrikes on the Gaza Strip during the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. These airstrikes targeted various parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The resulting casualties have surpassed a thousand deaths and thousands of injuries, with more anticipated. Among the victims, at least 25 were American citizens. In response, Israel declared war on Hamas, according to the Associated Press.

The situation at Arizona State University has sparked concern among some students. Clay Robins, Communications Coordinator for Winged Victory Agency and ASU Grad, wrote on the X platform, "Imagine being a Jewish student at ASU and your classmates are cheering on the slaughter of your people."

This controversy at Arizona State University is not the first regarding freedom of speech. Earlier this year, the University underwent an investigation following the "Health, Wealth, and Happiness" event organized by the Lewis Center at the Barrett Honors College. After the event, a group of faculty members expressed their disapproval in a letter to the dean of the honors college. The event featured speakers Charlie Kirk and Dennis Prager, known for their conservative viewpoints. The fallout from the event resulted in job losses for those involved in its organization, as reported by the Arizona Capitol Times.

Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, also expressed his dissatisfaction with ASU's actions. "ASU is now proudly hosting groups that sympathize with terrorists who murder and rape Jews, just months after they tried to kick me and Dennis Prager off campus!" Kirk wrote on the X platform. "Remember, nine out of ten times, the radicals are the very thing they accuse you of being. Hamas, BLM, the 'decolonizer' movement: When you boil them down, it's just white genocide or Jewish genocide, or both. Defund ASU."