"White people are oppressors," say 79 percent of young Americans 18 to 24 years old in a recent Harvard CAPS-Harris poll. "Nonwhite people and people of certain groups have been oppressed and . . . should be favored today at universities and for employment, they believe. Yet only 51 percent says this ideology is "helpful" to society, while 49 percent say it's "hurtful."
Older Americans disagree strongly with the first statement and say dividing society into oppressed and oppressors is "hurtful."
Overall, 64 percent said "identity politics based on race has come to dominate at our elite universities, with only 36 percent saying that elite universities "operate primarily on the basis of merit and accomplishments without regard to race." Gen Z respondents were even more likely to say that identity politics dominates: 69 percent agreed.
Since Gen Z sees white as oppressors, perhaps it's not surprising that they agree that "Jews as a class are oppressors" by a two to one margin. Older Americans strongly disagreed.
While most Americans believe a two-state solution would end the Israel-Palestinian conflict, 51 percent of young Americans say Israel should "be ended and given to Hamas," writes Jon Levine in the New York Post.
Most Americans support Israel, but Gen Z responded split 50-50 on whether they support Israel or Hamas. (But 58 percent say Hamas' goal is genocide of Jews, implying that some are OK with that.)
Young people don't know what they're opining about, write Mark Penn and Andrew Stein in a New York Post commentary.
"Contrary to the facts, 44 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds believe Israel is not a democracy, and 41 percent say Israel does not allow Arabs to vote in elections," they write. Yet, 41 percent "think Hamas rules democratically and is not authoritarian."
Only half realize that Israel "respects the rights of religious and ethnic minorities" and lets gay people live openly.
Forty-five percent of Gen Z respondents think Hamas, which has executed suspected homosexuals, allows gay people to live together openly, Penn and Stein write. (Hence "Queers for Palestine.") Fifty-one percent believe Hamas respects the rights of religious and ethnic minorities. "Hamas’ charter explicitly advocates the eradication of Jews."