Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper revealed that American and Canadian universities have sought and continue to seek the assistance of Israeli security companies or those linked to Israel, in an attempt to contain student protests against the massacres committed by the occupation army in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli experiences of oppression
The report prepared by the newspaper’s correspondent in New York, Daniel Adelson, said that among the universities that witnessed this transformation, the City University of New York emerged, as it was one of the hotspots of pro-Palestinian protests, especially last year.
In a controversial move, the university signed a contract with an Israeli security company called “Strategic Security” worth $4 million.
The report says that this company was founded by Joseph Sordi, a former New York police officer and graduate of the Israeli Mossad. The company describes itself as specializing in dealing with security crises in academic environments, and its work includes extensive professional training in Israel.
Company officials likened the situation on campus to “a growing wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrators who infiltrated the campus with the help of experienced preachers who used guerrilla tactics to incite violence and chaos.” The company stated that it has the ability to monitor and identify security threats using advanced intelligence platforms, which ensures achieving the maximum degree of control over the situation.
The reporter pointed out that the confrontations between students and security forces last April resulted in the injury of a number of students and the arrest of more than 170 people, as pepper spraying was widely used to disperse the demonstrators, which sparked angry reactions from the students who saw that this method contradicted With the academic values of universities.
In Canada, where the situation is not much different, Concordia University in Montreal was one of the universities that decided to use Israeli security companies to deal with the protests.
The university contracted with two Israeli security companies; The first is the company “Perseptig International” led by Adam Cohen, a former officer in the District Court in Jerusalem, and the second is the “Moshav Security Consulting” company run by Eyal Feldman, a former officer in the Israeli army.
It should be noted that some students in Montreal had protested against the university’s decision, stressing that cooperation with security companies directly linked to Israel increases tensions on campus, and demanded that the students cancel these contracts and stop any Israeli investment in the campus.
On the other hand, at the University of California, Los Angeles, protests increased, calling for an end to American support for Israel. These protests had a significant impact in pushing the university to contract with Israeli security companies, including Magen Am, which includes members with Israeli military backgrounds. The involvement of these companies led to violent clashes between students and security guards. The university acknowledged cooperation with the local police and these companies, and one million dollars was allocated to cover security costs on the university campus.
Repercussions and criticism
These security interventions have sparked great controversy in student and political circles, and protesters believe that these measures exacerbate political tensions on campus and increase the feeling of isolation between students and academic institutions. At Concordia University, for example, students claimed that the presence of Israeli security companies fosters tension and undermines the academic community’s confidence in the university.
In this context, some student organizations called for a boycott of security companies with ties to Israel, and demanded that universities immediately cancel contracts with them. For their part, the universities defended their positions, saying that their decisions were aimed at ensuring the safety of the campus, and that they had nothing to do with supporting any political party.
This trend indicates a new development in security practices on American and Canadian universities, where there is increasing resort to Israeli security companies with experience in dealing with security crises. Although these companies promise that their security technologies will help reduce violence, the criticism they face indicates that the use of these companies contributes to fueling political tensions within universities.