Report: US, Canadian universities hire Israeli firms to curb pro-Palestinian protests

A report published on Saturday by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said several universities in both the US and Canada have entered into agreements with Israel-linked security companies to suppress pro-Palestine protests occurring on their campuses.

The report notes that after the election of Donald Trump, who pledged to penalize academic institutions that failed to control “radicals and Hamas supporters,” a number of universities in both countries turned to Israeli security firms to manage pro-Palestinian protests. 

The year 2024 saw a wave of campus uprisings across the West in support of Palestine and against Israel’s war on Gaza. Students largely demanded their institutions end investments in Israel and Israeli companies.