Introduction

Tensions have been running high at many universities around the world since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent Israeli assault on Gaza. In the first of two episodes exploring how the war is affecting life at universities, we explore what's been happening at one American public college campus.

Featuring David Mednicoff, chair of the Department of Judaic and Near Eastern Studies and an associate professor of Middle Eastern studies and public policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Naomi Schalit, senior politics and society editor at The Conversation in the US.

This episode was written by Gemma Ware and produced by Mend Mariwany. Sound design is by Eloise Stevens and our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Full credits available here. A transcript is now available.

Further reading and listening:

• Defending space for free discussion, empathy and tolerance on campus is a challenge during Israel-Hamas war
• Why university presidents find it hard to punish advocating genocide − college free speech codes are both more and less protective than the First Amendment
• Israel-Gaza: what the term genocide means under international law – podcast