Pro-Palestinian students like Ms. Babboni see their movement as connected to others that have stood up for an oppressed people. And they have adopted a potent vocabulary, rooted in the hothouse jargon of academia, that grafts the history of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples onto the more familiar terms of social justice movements at home. They also argue that charges of racism betray a misunderstanding of the region, because it is estimated that half of Israelis are of Middle Eastern or North African descent. Since the crisis began, statements and counterstatements have volleyed back and forth among college administrators, students, faculty and alumni. Each takes issue with the language used by the others, and helps explain why the gyre of recriminations only widens with every new statement offered up by students or faculty.

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Persons: Babboni, “, ” Organizations: Israel, “ Palestine Solidarity Groups, Columbia University, U.S . Locations: Palestinian, South Africa, Israel, Gaza, Eastern