AMNA NAWAZ: Good evening.

I'm Amna Nawaz.

GEOFF BENNETT: And I'm Geoff Bennett.

On the "NewsHour" tonight: The Biden administration puts a hold on sending thousands of bombs to Israel over concerns about how the weapons would be used in a Rafah offensive.

AMNA NAWAZ: College students share their views on language, safety, and what is considered free speech, amid protests against the war in Gaza.

GEOFF BENNETT: And a closer look at the move by the federal judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's classified documents case to indefinitely postpone the start of his trial.

(BREAK) GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "NewsHour."

The Biden administration suspended delivery of thousands of bombs to Israel, a rare move by a White House that has said its commitment to Israel is -- quote -- "ironclad."

Israel seized the Rafah Border Crossing from Gaza into Egypt on Monday and said it would invade Rafah city if Hamas does not release the hostages it holds by week's end.

AMNA NAWAZ: Criticism of the suspension from many Republicans and some Democrats was swift.

Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell co-signed a letter to the president denouncing the delay.

The Biden White House also delayed delivery to Capitol Hill of a congressionally mandated report on whether or not the Israeli military is adhering to international humanitarian law.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin defended the weapons pause at a Senate hearing this morning, before being interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters.

LLOYD AUSTIN, U.S. Secretary of Defense: We're going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself.

But, that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah.

Some of the security assistance that we're providing to... PROTESTER: Free Palestine!

AMNA NAWAZ: Following all of this is our Nick Schifrin, who joins me here at the desk tonight.

Nick, good to see you.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Thanks, Amna.

AMNA NAWAZ: Let's just start with what exactly the administration has suspended here.

NICK SCHIFRIN: The administration froze the shipment of 3,500 American bombs to Israel.

These are weapons that were already congressionally approved, specifically 1,800 2,000-pound bombs, which Israel has used mostly in Northern Gaza.

You see the aftermath of one right there to target Hamas tunnels deep underground.

But these are the bombs that have caused the most civilian casualties because of their size and because they are unguided.

A senior administration official says -- quote - - "We are especially focused on the end use of the 2,000-pound bombs and the impact they could have in dense urban settings."

That is a reference to Rafah, where, of course, 1.2 million Gazans have fled in Southern Gaza.

And Israel is threatening to assault, as you were saying before, especially Rafah city.

Now, Israel has more than enough weapons, Amna, to be able to assault Rafah.

So this is not about readiness.

This is what one official tells me is a message.

And that message is being sent also because the U.S. is saying, if Israel does not go into Rafah, then there will not be further frozen shipments, not only those 3,500 bombs that we talked about already, but a separate shipment of Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAMs.

These are kits that turn unguided munitions into precision-guided munitions that Israel is also asking for.

But the U.S. is not blocking any defensive weapons -- that includes missile defense -- nor is it blocking recent appropriated financial -- foreign financial money for Israeli weapons.

In total, the U.S. has sent Israel billions of dollars since October the 7th.

But it's a major step for President Biden, who's criticized this idea in the past.

The fact is that this is the largest leverage that the U.S. has over Israel, the weapons.

AMNA NAWAZ: It's a major step.

So what's been the response, both here at home and overseas?

NICK SCHIFRIN: The Democrats who have called for the U.S. to use this leverage hailed this idea, but Republicans criticized it.

The chairs of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committee said they were -- quote -- "appalled" by the decision, and they said it weakens deterrence against Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah.

And a source briefed on the details tells me that -- quote -- "Israeli officials expressed deep frustration at the delay of the shipment and the U.S. briefings to the media on the matter, raising concerns that the move may jeopardize the hostage deal negotiations at a critical moment."

And that's what makes this moment so critical, Amna.

CIA Director Bill Burns is in the middle of trying to convince the Israelis to accept the hostage deal, as Israel threatens this week to go into Rafah if there is no hostage deal, and the president is faced with this major decision of whether to withhold weapons.

All of these three major points are intertwined, and they have major ramifications not only for the war, but the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

AMNA NAWAZ: A critical point, indeed.

Nick Schifrin, thank you, as always, for your reporting.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Thank you.

GEOFF BENNETT: We're going to hear perspectives now on all of this from two members of Congress.

First, Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland.

He's a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and I spoke with him earlier today.

Senator Van Hollen, welcome to the "NewsHour."

SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD): It's good to be with you.

Thank you for having me.

GEOFF BENNETT: You have for months been urging President Biden to do more, to use the administration's leverage to pressure Israel to change the way it's prosecuting the war in Gaza to limit civilian suffering.

What then do you make of this move now to pause a shipment of some 3,500 bombs to Israel over concerns that those weapons might be used in Rafah?

SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: I think this is exactly the right kind of move.

We have had months of a pattern where President Biden asks Prime Minister Netanyahu to meet certain American concerns, only to be mostly ignored.

And so it's very important that the president of the United States now make clear that our support is not a blank check.

It's not anything goes.

And the president established a red line.

He said he did not want to see an invasion of Rafah.

By all accounts, the Netanyahu government is proceeding.

So this is exactly the right step for President Biden to take.

GEOFF BENNETT: There is this concern, though, that pausing the shipment or even conditioning future aid only emboldens Iran and Iran-backed groups.

The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, said this move, in his words, creates daylight between America and a close ally.

What about that?

Are you concerned about the message this could potentially send to Israel's enemies in the region and the degree to which this could undermine, in some ways, Israel's security?

SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: No, I'm not worried about that.

We have made very clear that there should be no limit on the transfer of defensive systems, like Iron Dome, like the kinds of systems that intercepted Iranian drones and missiles a number of weeks ago.

But we have made equally clear that, when we're talking about American taxpayer dollars, it's important that they be aligned with our interests and values.

That includes reducing the number of civilian casualties.

And we have now seen huge numbers of civilian casualties in the war of Gaza, 35 -- 34,000 people killed, two-thirds of them, women and children, and of course, a humanitarian disaster.

So it's absolutely appropriate that President Biden say that when, we're going to be sending American weapons, we want them to be used in a manner that's consistent with our values and our interests and the red lines that the president has drawn.

GEOFF BENNETT: Is there, in your view, a potential consequence of tying Israel's hands at this precise moment as it's trying to root out Hamas?

SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: This is not about tying Israel's hands.

This is about making sure that the war in Gaza is conducted in a way that prevents these huge levels of civilian casualties and makes sure that humanitarian assistance can get to starving people.

I mean, we have seen 25 people, including kids, already starved to death.

So, it's perfectly reasonable, in fact, I would say it's an imperative, for the United States to make clear that our support is not in the form of a blank check.

The president has made very reasonable requests of the Netanyahu government, only to be repeatedly rebuffed.

And so I do believe it's important that the United States use all the tools at its disposal not to tie Israel's hands, but to make sure that our assistance is used in accordance with our values and our objectives.

GEOFF BENNETT: The Biden administration is expected this week to issue its opinion on whether Israel is violating international or U.S. law in Gaza.

This is a policy known as NSM-20, which you advocated for.

You, as I understand it, have said that you don't expect to get an honest answer.

Tell me more about that.

Why?

SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Actually, I have not said that I don't expect to.

I have said, however, that this will be a test of the Biden administration's credibility.

And I said I was concerned, based on reports that came out of the State Department as part of an earlier review, that the agencies within the department most knowledgeable about delivering humanitarian assistance, most knowledgeable about implementing international law had been effectively ignored or certainly not adequately listened to at an earlier stage.

Look, the jury is still out on the report that's coming into Congress.

This was a very important piece of National Security Memorandum No.

20.

And it's very important that this include the unvarnished facts and truth about what's happened in Gaza.

And I will say that anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear understands that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is unacceptable.

And it's been very clear that the Netanyahu government has not done everything it can to facilitate that assistance.

And I have said, God help us if we say that what's happened in Gaza is an acceptable international standard.

That would be bad news for the world.

GEOFF BENNETT: That is Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen.

Thanks again for your time this evening.

We appreciate it.

SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Good to be with you, Geoff.

AMNA NAWAZ: And for an opposing perspective, a short time ago, I spoke with Republican Representative Mike Lawler of New York.

He serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Congressman Lawler, welcome back to the "NewsHour."

Thanks for joining us.

REP. MIKE LAWLER (R-NY): Thanks for having me.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, earlier today, you issued a statement disagreeing with the Biden administration's decision to pause some of those weapons shipments to Israel.

You said Israel has the right to defend itself.

The bigger question here, and based on the Biden administration's decision, is, are you comfortable with Israel's war conduct in Gaza?

REP. MIKE LAWLER: Yes, I am.

Hamas is a terrorist organization who indiscriminately slaughtered innocent women, children, babies on October 7, and uses their own Palestinian civilians as human shields.

Israel has a right to defend itself.

Nobody would tell the United States after 9/11 or during the war on terror not to go after al-Qaida or ISIS.

And so I think the approach by the administration is wrong.

Congress passed the aid to Israel, along with Ukraine and Taiwan, weeks ago.

And so it is incumbent upon the administration to fulfill the legislation that was passed by Congress and get these high-payload munitions to Israel as quickly as possible.

The fact that they are delaying it and having not informed Congress, but rather tried to hide their decision, is wrong.

And so I believe very strongly that they need to move quickly to get the munitions to Israel.

AMNA NAWAZ: Congressman, as you well know, there are some 34,000 civilians that have been killed in Gaza so far, mostly women and children.

The head of the World Food Program said recently there is now full-blown famine in the north.

Senator Van Hollen said just before you and I spoke that "God help us," he said, if this is now the standard, an acceptable standard for war.

Do you believe the U.S. has any role in trying to prevent mass civilian casualties in Gaza?

REP. MIKE LAWLER: Well, first of all, these numbers are based on the Gaza Health Ministry.

They do not differentiate between terrorists killed.

Obviously, we want to avoid innocent casualties in any war, but there is a reality of war.

And so I think Israel has done its very best to limit the casualties.

But, again, when Hamas is using innocent civilians as human shields, setting up operations in hospitals and schools, setting up operations in hospitals and schools, I think Israel is conducting the war as best they can, adhering to international law, and making sure that they are rooting out terrorists who are responsible for what happened on October 7.

AMNA NAWAZ: As you know, the U.S. has said this is not about Israel continuing to protect itself.

They have the means to do so.

The U.S. has surged tens of thousands of bombs and missiles to Israel since the attacks of October 7.

And even U.S. officials say now, if they wanted to move ahead with an operation, they have the means to do so in Rafah.

As you well know, this is focused on those heavy bombs in particular, those 2,000-pound bombs, which we know Israel has used in some dense urban settings, leading to mass civilian casualties.

President Biden has called that indiscriminate in the past.

Are you saying you disagree with that?

REP. MIKE LAWLER: I do.

And I think, again, the president's concern here is more centered on Michigan and Minnesota and the politics of the Democratic Party today than it is on the war.

And I, frankly, think it is wrong.

Israel is under threat and attack.

And again, Hamas is a terrorist organization.

And so they have a right to defend themselves.

They have a right to prosecute this war.

And I think the president should be supporting the state of Israel as they conduct this war.

AMNA NAWAZ: As we have now reached -- and I know you said there's questions around the civilian casualty number of 34,000.

The consensus seems to be they are mostly civilians, mostly women and children.

I just wonder, as you say you believe Israel is prosecuting the war fairly and not indiscriminately, is there a civilian casualty number that's too high for you?

REP. MIKE LAWLER: I think any civilian loss is tragic.

And everybody, the United States, Israel, and any time you're in war, try to limit that as best you can.

But you are dealing with a terrorist organization that is using civilians, innocent civilians, as human shields.

Look, I want the Palestinian people to be free from their oppressor.

Their oppressor is Hamas.

And so the objective of everyone should be to eliminate Hamas as the governing body of Gaza and make sure that the Palestinian people are free.

And, ultimately, the fastest way for a cease-fire to occur and for the avoidance of any civilian casualties is for Hamas to surrender and release the hostages.

That should be what everyone, including those on college campuses, is demanding.

The fact that you have some folks identifying with Hamas here in America is deeply disturbing.

And it does nothing to actually help protect innocent civilian life in Gaza.

AMNA NAWAZ: That is Republican Representative Mike Lawler of New York joining us tonight.

Congressman, thank you.

REP. MIKE LAWLER: Thank you.

AMNA NAWAZ: And, late today, President Biden himself made it explicit in an interview with CNN that he would not send bombs to Israel if it launches a major ground assault into Rafah City.

He also said he would restrict the shipment of artillery shells if Israel takes that step.

GEOFF BENNETT: In the day's other headlines: The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly tonight to keep House Speaker Mike Johnson in his job.

Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene had moved to oust Johnson for pushing Ukraine aid and other actions that she and other far right Republicans opposed.

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): By passing the Democrats' agenda and handcuffing Republicans' ability to influence legislation, our elected Republican speaker, Mike Johnson, has aided and abetted the Democrats and the Biden administration in destroying our country.

GEOFF BENNETT: Democrats joined the overwhelming majority of Republicans in supporting Johnson.

A Georgia state appeals court will consider former President Donald Trump's bid to oust the district attorney in his election interference trial.

That decision today could mean the trial gets delayed past the November election.

Mr. Trump is appealing the trial judge's ruling that let DA Fani Willis stay on the case.

The special prosecutor that she named stepped aside after acknowledging they'd had a romantic relationship.

Parts of the Midwest surveyed the damage today after a night of extreme weather that spawned tornadoes.

Three twisters struck in Michigan, including in the town of Portage, with reports of others in Indiana and Ohio, as well as West Virginia.

One of the Michigan storms obliterated a mobile home park and several businesses.

It also tore the roof off a FedEx facility.

No serious injuries were reported.

But, in Tennessee, officials there say a man was killed when high winds blew a tree into the vehicle he was in.

In Ukraine, Russia unleashed a barrage of more than 50 missiles and drones overnight, ending a recent lull in attacks.

Ukrainian officials say nearly a dozen energy facilities were hit, causing serious damage and blackouts.

Several homes in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions were also struck.

In Moscow Russia's, Foreign Ministry said the war could end soon, under one condition.

MARIA ZAKHAROVA, Spokeswoman, Russian Foreign Ministry (through translator): What is needed for de-escalation, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, already said it.

He said that if you stop supplying weapons to the Kyiv regime, everything will be over in two weeks.

That is the true formula for peace voiced by the Westerners themselves.

GEOFF BENNETT: The E.U.

's Borrell did say this month that Ukraine would lose the war if it wasn't supplied with more weapons, but that he did not want that outcome.

Also today, E.U.

nations reached a tentative deal to let Ukraine use the proceeds from frozen Russian assets to buy weapons.

An appeals court in Hong Kong has agreed to let officials ban a popular protest song called "Glory to Hong Kong."

Today's decision overturned an earlier ruling.

The song was frequently sung during massive anti-government demonstrations in 2019.

China's Foreign Ministry said today the ban will maintain national dignity.

LIN JIAN, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson (through translator): This is not a diplomatic question.

I would like to stress that stopping anyone from using or spreading the song in an attempt to incite division and insult the national anthem is a legitimate and necessary measure.

GEOFF BENNETT: Banning the protest song is the latest step in Beijing's crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong.

Here at home, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani pleaded guilty today to bank tax fraud in the theft of $17 million.

Federal prosecutors say Ippei Mizuhara used the money to cover gambling debts.

He could face more than 30 years in prison.

Concert promoter Live Nation has settled nearly all of the wrongful death lawsuits involving the 2021 Astroworld Festival in Houston; 10 people were killed when fans surged toward the stage as rap star Travis Scott performed.

A lawyer for Live Nation said today only one of the resulting suits is still.

The bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX now says it will distribute at least $14.5 billion to creditors.

In a court filing late Tuesday, the company announced it has the assets to cover what it owes and a little more.

FTX collapsed in November 2022.

Earlier this year, former CEO and founder Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud.

On Wall Street, stocks mostly drifted for a second day.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 172 points to close at 39056.

The Nasdaq fell 29 points.

The S&P 500 was down a fraction.

And there's something new in the Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol, where each state displays its own prominent historical figures.

Today, Arkansas unveiled a statue depicting civil rights leader and journalist Daisy Bates.

She played a key role in desegregating the state's public schools.

The state is also adding a statue of country music great Johnny Cash.

They will replace figures with Confederate and white supremacist backgrounds.

Still to come on the "NewsHour": Congress grills leaders of some of the nation's largest school districts about the rise in antisemitic incidents; and Ukrainians who've lost limbs in the fight with Russia receive prosthetics and hope for the future as the war rages on.

AMNA NAWAZ: The ongoing debate around how colleges and cities are handling pro-Palestinian protests played out here in Washington, D.C., today.

Early this morning, hours before Mayor Muriel Bowser was set to testify on Capitol Hill about this, police used pepper spray to clear encampments and crowds at George Washington University.

Nearly three dozen people were arrested.

The hearing was later canceled.

Over the last week, "NewsHour" producers visited that campus and others across the country, talking to students about why they're protesting, about the language being used and the limits of free speech.

Stephanie Sy has our report.

(CHANTING) STEPHANIE SY: For nearly two weeks on George Washington University's campus, more than 100 tents stretched across the lawn, part of a demonstration by students from around the D.C. area.

SELINA AL-SHIHABI, Georgetown University Student: Gaza, that's why were here.

That's why were doing what were doing.

And I think a lot of students, I mean, after October 7, have been just feeling this frustration, and they have been feeling kind of this disgust with the world around them.

STEPHANIE SY: Twenty-year-old Palestinian-American sophomore Selina Al-Shihabi says she has lost family members in the conflict.

She's here because of the high death toll in Gaza, now at more than 34,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and U.S. military support for Israel.

SELINA AL-SHIHABI: A lot of us, we have been taught that the freedom of speech, the right to life, the right to liberty, the right to pursuit of happiness, that water, food, are basic rights, that everyone should have.

And, like, seeing the United States endorse this is just actually outrageous.

PROTESTER: Free, free Palestine!

STEPHANIE SY: But the rhetoric that has surrounded the protests has made some students fearful.

Sabrina Soffer and Skyler Sieradzky are seniors at George Washington and are both Jewish.

SABRINA SOFFER, George Washington University Student: Over the past week or so, and since this whole war even started, and since October 7, even the day after, I felt that, as a Jewish student, I have felt unwelcome in my classes and on this campus.

STEPHANIE SY: Even before the October 7 terror attacks, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. were on the rise, increasing by more than 35 percent in 2022 alone.

SKYLER SIERADZKY, George Washington University Student: My parents are extremely concerned for my safety and well-being.

My mom was asking me if I could put go on the campus as little as possible.

Don't go near the encampment.

STEPHANIE SY: Sabrina is Israeli-American, and most of Skyler's extended family lives in Israel.

SKYLER SIERADZKY: And without Israel, my family would have been a part of the six million that we have lost -- that we lost during the Holocaust.

Without Israel, it means that I wouldn't be here today, that my peers wouldn't be here today.

STEPHANIE SY: And they say the signs they see around campus go far beyond protesting a war or the policies of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, known as Bibi.

SKYLER SIERADZKY: I think you can absolutely critique Israel's politics.

You can critique Bibi and his government, as I do with my friends and my family.

And that's not antisemitic.

It becomes antisemitic when you start criticizing the state of Israel's existence.

SABRINA SOFFER: The sentiment that anti-Zionism is not antisemitism is far detached from reality, and it is these so-called moral high ground causes that are far removed from the history of the Jewish people.

STEPHANIE SY: Zionism, genocide, "From the river to the sea,' these are among the terms fueling the conflict over the conflict playing out across the country and most visibly on college campuses.

PROTESTER: How many kids did you kill today?

PROTESTERS: How many kids did you kill today?

KENNETH STERN, Director, Bard Center for the Study of Hate: Each is in a political moment.

Each feels somewhat threatened.

And each is staking out a maximalist position.

STEPHANIE SY: These differing viewpoints, though not new, have only intensified in the aftermath of Hamas' October 7 terror attacks and Israel's military response, says Kenneth Stern, the director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate.

KENNETH STERN: This is such a fraught subject where there are two sort of national identity stories that are in direct conflict with each other, and people subscribe to one or the other, and really don't see the nuance.

STEPHANIE SY: Many protesters across the country say they are simply protesting an ideology.

OMAR ALY, University of Minnesota Student: Our fight has been against Zionism, has been against an Israeli government.

It has never been against a religion.

STEPHANIE SY: University of Minnesota senior Omar Aly was at his schools encampment last week.

OMAR ALY: We are calling for a free Palestine, so it's free of settlers, not free of one religion or the other.

We want Palestinian Muslims, Palestinian Christians, Palestinian Jews to live in one place.

PROTESTERS: No justice, no peace!

STEPHANIE SY: At George Washington University, Jewish student Miriam is also anti-Zionist.

She asked us not to use her last name, for fear of retribution.

MIRIAM, George Washington University Student: I know that my Jewish identity for me is -- has no ties to a nation-state.

That's not something that I feel is important to me, especially a nation-state that has been occupying Palestinian land for 76 years.

So I think decolonizing sort of the Jewish identity means separating Zionism from Judaism and therefore separating anti-Zionism from antisemitism.

STEPHANIE SY: But, to many Jews, anti-Zionist sentiments are a direct threat to the existence of a Jewish state and are intrinsically antisemitic and threatening.

Ethan Fine IS a Jewish senior at the University of Minnesota.

ETHAN FINE, University of Minnesota Student: When you seek to preserve the right to self-determination for everybody except for the Jewish people, that is antisemitic, that is anti-Jewish rhetoric,and that is where antisemitism and anti-Zionism become very close.

STEPHANIE SY: At colleges across the country, one phrase in particular is a lightning rod.

Pro-Palestinian protesters have been chanting this.

PROTESTER: From the river to the sea!

PROTESTERS: From the river to the sea!

PROTESTER: Palestine will be free!

STEPHANIE SY: The refrain reflects deeply held beliefs over who should control the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, where the nation of Israel and the occupied-Palestinian territories sit.

SELINA AL-SHIHABI: What we are calling for is a one-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians and Jews and Muslims can live in coexistence.

STEPHANIE SY: In 1977, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's own party used the same phrase in its original platform.

And, today, he says Israel should have security control over the entire area.

SELINA AL-SHIHABI: It's ironic that a lot of Israeli critics claim that that's problematic.

They call for a Jewish state from the river to the sea.

And so that is -- that's just extremely contradictory.

STEPHANIE SY: Hamas, which has called for the destruction of Israel, added the phrase "From the river to the sea" to its charter in 2017.

And pro-Israel groups, including the Anti-Defamation League, have labeled the phrase antisemitic.

ETHAN KATZ, Co-Director, Berkeley Anti-Semitism Education Initiative: Slogans like there is only one solution, intifada revolution, slogans like "From the river to the sea, Palestine will all be free" are inevitably heard as endorsements of violence because the most prominent act of so-called resistance being valorized in many of the same rallies was explicitly, at least for some of the leadership of Hamas and some of the perpetrators, about murdering Israeli Jews.

STEPHANIE SY: Ethan Katz, a historian at the University of California at Berkeley, acknowledges the diverse meanings of the phrase, but says it has particular charge after the October 7 terror attack on Israel, when Hamas killed some 1,200 people.

Some pro-Israel supporters say any endorsement of resistance against Israel is an implicit support for Hamas.

None of the pro-Palestinian students "NewsHour" interviewed expressed support for Hamas' actions on October 7, but some student groups have lauded the attack.

ETHAN KATZ: We know the horrific details.

We know what a brutal attack this was, and huge parts of it on civilians in horrific ways, while being described as an act of resistance, as an act of liberation, both by its perpetrators and by many activists.

SKYLER SIERADZKY: The rhetoric being used at these protests is not that of a peaceful conclusion to this war.

It's that of violence.

MAHA NASSAR, University of Arizona: I think it is important to keep in mind that the protest is against a system of oppression and not against a group of people.

And we have to be very clear about the importance of keeping those things separate.

STEPHANIE SY: Maha Nassar is a historian at the University of Arizona.

MAHA NASSAR: For the vast majority of the protesters who are using this chant, it is a call for freedom for everyone who lives between the river and the sea.

STEPHANIE SY: Ezra Kaye, a Jewish student at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, says how words are spoken matters.

EZRA KAYE, Case Western Reserve University Student: Saying things like the classic "From the river to the sea" get construed as antisemitic.

It all comes down to the context of what's happening, who's doing it, and at what time.

STEPHANIE SY: Another fiercely contested term is genocide.

Some, like Samantha Ginsberg, a Jewish senior at the Ohio State University, say Israel's actions in Gaza don't meet the threshold for the charge.

SAMANTHA GINSBERG, The Ohio State University Student: Genocide is a really serious accusation, and it does not deserve to be watered down and simplified and just applied to everything.

That's a genocide.

It's not.

It requires intent.

There is no intent to wipe out the Palestinian people.

STEPHANIE SY: According to a January YouGov/Economist poll, 49 percent of young adults under the age of 30 do believe Israel is committing a genocide.

EZRA KAYE: Even though no one has been convicted with genocide yet, it's starting to look and feel a lot like genocide.

So whether you want to call it or not, we can see that something is happening that looks and feels a lot like it.

KENNETH STERN: The ability to navigate both of those narratives simultaneously is really what's at the heart of this and the difficulty of many students, because they pick one and, you know, they ignore the other, when really both should be engaged.

STEPHANIE SY: As each side becomes more entrenched, Stern from the Bard Center for the Study of Hate says some university officials are struggling with how to navigate this conflict.

KENNETH STERN: The obligation on campus is to keep students safe physically and from harassment and from true threats, but not safe from ideas.

Students should not expect that they're not going to hear things that are disturbing.

They should be expecting to have scholars and administrators and others help them unpack that and learn from it.

And they should have the intellectual curiosity to figure out why somebody has a different point of view.

STEPHANIE SY: In order to move forward, he says students should focus on areas of common understanding.

KENNETH STERN: Where can you agree?

You can agree what we're seeing is awful, whether you want to technically call it genocide or not, where can we agree on things?

And underscoring that, I think, is a way forward for students.

PROTESTER: Palestine will be free!

PROTESTERS: Palestine will be free!

STEPHANIE SY: It's unclear whether students can reconcile the warring narratives, as protests continue on campuses from coast to coast.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Stephanie Sy.

GEOFF BENNETT: While most of the national attention around protests and questions of antisemitism has been focused on college campuses, there have been concerns about incidents at some high schools too.

And that was the focus of another charged hearing today on Capitol Hill.

The hearing gave House Republicans a chance to confront officials from liberal cities about reports of antisemitism in their school districts.

Lisa Desjardins has the report.

REP. AARON BEAN (R-FL): The Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education will come to order.

LISA DESJARDINS: After two high-profile hearings on antisemitism in higher education, House Republicans today shifted to K-12, the leaders of three public school districts in liberal areas, Berkeley, California, Montgomery County, Maryland, and New York City in the hot seat.

REP. AARON BEAN: But just like some college presidents before you that sat in the very same seats.

LISA DESJARDINS: This after some high schools have seen pro-Palestinian protests include antisemitic chants or threats.

For example, in November, students at Hillcrest High School in New York took over halls, yelling about and looking for a Jewish teacher who had posted a pro-Israel photo.

New York Mayor Eric Adams condemned the incident.

Today, the Big Apple's schools chief, David Banks, said his agency takes this and other incidents seriously.

DAVID BANKS, Chancellor, New York City Department of Education: We have suspended at least 30 students.

We have involved the NYPD when hate crimes are committed.

And we have retrained all 1,600 principals on our discipline code to ensure that it is enforced properly.

LISA DESJARDINS: But Republicans especially wanted more accountability.

REP. BURGESS OWENS (R-UT): I mean, I'm hearing nice words, really nice words here, teaching, redirecting, directing.

What I'm missing is discipline and I'm missing the word fired.

DAVID BANKS: What I said was very clear.

We suspended a number of students who were the leaders at Hillcrest High School, number one.

Number two, we removed the principal of that school for lack of leadership and oversight.

LISA DESJARDINS: But, Banks told skeptical Republicans, the principal was moved to another district job, not fired, sparking debate, including with the ACLU's Emerson Sykes, over when anyone should be fired.

EMERSON SYKES, Senior Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union: Firing may be appropriate in certain circumstances, but I think we need to think about how we can address antisemitism, change hearts and minds, make children safe without only looking to the most punitive tool in our toolbox.

REP. LISA MCCLAIN (R-MI): Mr. Sykes, therein lies the problem Your ability to tolerate this behavior is completely unacceptable.

And, sometimes, you do need to use this stick, because disincentives work.

LISA DESJARDINS: Schools are a key policy and political push for Republicans, but with it comes questions about what is real and what is fearmongering.

REP. ELISE STEFANIK (R-NY): I want to switch to Origins High School.

In October, 40 to 50 students marched through Origins High School chanting "Death to Israel" and kill the Jews.

DAVID BANKS: We have found no evidence that actually happened.

What we have found are a wide range of deeply troubling antisemitic things that have happened at Origins High School.

This is the one case that has troubled me the most, Congresswoman.

I will tell you that.

REP. ELISE STEFANIK: So what are the enforcement actions?

DAVID BANKS: And we have -- I'm trying to tell you, we have in fact suspended a number of students at that school.

But, currently, this case now is under litigation, and I'm being advised not to speak to the specific things that have happened there.

But just know that what -- I had visited that school after these allegations have come up.

I have met with parents, family, staff, students.

I'm deeply troubled by what has happened there, and we're going to get to the bottom of it.

LISA DESJARDINS: The school district in Berkeley, led by Enikia Ford Morthel, is also facing legal scrutiny.

The Anti-Defamation League filed a civil rights complaint, now a full-fledged Education Department investigation, that the school district has allowed an antisemitic climate.

REP. KEVIN KILEY (R-CA): Has anyone been terminated?

ENIKIA FORD MORTHEL, Berkeley Unified School District: In general, I can tell you that can't speak about personal matters, but I can tell you that we do follow up and we take action.

REP. KEVIN KILEY: I'm pretty sure your colleague, Dr. -- Mr. Banks, gave us an answer, so you can.

ENIKIA FORD MORTHEL: And I respect and appreciate that, but I'm not going to be able to do that.

I can let you know that, again, when any issue comes up, we investigate it, and, pending the outcome of that investigation, we do take action.

And those actions range.... REP. KEVIN KILEY: OK. LISA DESJARDINS: Democrats also blasted antisemitic incidents, but gave educators more chance to make their case.

REP. JAHANA HAYES (D-CT): Do you think it would be important for students to understand why a statement like "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" could be harmful to some of their peers?

KARLA SILVESTRE, President, Montgomery County, Maryland, Board of Education: Absolutely, Congresswoman.

That is -- our role is to educate them on the history so that they can understand why our Jewish students might find that phrase antisemitic.

LISA DESJARDINS: The hearing brought tension and civil talk.

DAVID BANKS: And I believe this deeply.

It's not about having gotcha moments.

It's about teaching.

REP. AARON BEAN: I would say it's been an excellent meeting.

LISA DESJARDINS: And more are coming.

Leaders of UCLA, Michigan, and Yale will face this committee later in the month.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Lisa Desjardins.

AMNA NAWAZ: After months of delays and closed-door hearings, the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump has been officially and indefinitely delayed by Judge Aileen Cannon.

Our William Brangham takes a deeper look now at where things stand -- William.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Amna, this is considered the strongest, clearest-cut case against the former president.

Trump is charged with 40 counts of taking classified documents and obstructing efforts to get them back.

Special counsel Jack Smith's indictments show boxes full of highly secret materials sitting unsecured in ballrooms and bathrooms and closets at Trump's private club and home, Mar-a-Lago.

There's an audio recording of Trump admitting he still retained classified war plans.

Smith alleges Trump tried to destroy video evidence of how the documents were moved around to evade federal investigators.

But now a trial that was supposed to start in two weeks is indefinitely on hold.

Critics blame the judge overseeing this case, Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Donald Trump, for pushing this case well past the election.

Mary McCord is director of Georgetown University's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection.

She is also a former Justice Department official.

Mary, so good to have you back on the program.

Do you think that this is a fair accusation, that the principal reason that this case is now likely not going to ever get tried before this election is because of the judge?

And, if so, what's your evidence for that?

MARY MCCORD, Former Justice Department Official: I'd say it's a combination of the delay strategy by Mr. Trump and his co-defendants and a judge who has accommodated that strategy and actually allowed that strategy to be successful.

I mean, she is also a judge that lacks experience handling a case that involves classified information.

That does add a layer of complexity to a case because there is a procedure, actually under the law called the Classified Information Procedures Act, or CIPA, for adjudicating how you're going to deal with classified information in a case like this, what needs to be produced to the defendants, what the defendants can use at trial.

There's a procedure for all of that.

That does add to complications.

Nevertheless, the deadlines for the CIPA proceedings, as well as deadlines for other hearings, she has consistently accommodated Mr. Trump's delay tactics and pushing those deadlines off.

And, in fact, a deadline for a critical CIPA Section 5 hearing was supposed to be this week, is now put off until the middle of June, with the government's response for the next CIPA hearing put off until about this time in July, mid-July.

So we're talking about just adding significant delay, whereas judges with more experience in these matters would have moved them more quickly.

I'd say there's also a number of motions that she could have ruled on based on the papers, but instead has scheduled hearings and scheduled those hearings far out after the briefing has been completed.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: I mean, devil's advocate, though, judges have an enormous amount of discretion to dictate the pace and flow of their cases and hear what arguments they think are relevant and meritorious and which are not.

I mean, couldn't this all be well within the bounds of what is appropriate and legitimate?

MARY MCCORD: Well, I guess what I would say is I would expect a judge with more experience to move these matters along more expeditiously and also to not give so much airtime and so much play to arguments that are relatively frivolous.

So, I mean, judges -- you are right - - they have a lot of discretion over their courtroom.

But there is a Speedy Trial Act too.

And that Speedy Trial Act is not only for the benefit of the defendants.It's also for the benefit of the public in assuring that justice is done in a way that does not involve delay.

And, in fact, in making today her order in definitely postponing even scheduling a trial, she had to make findings that this was in the interest of justice under the Speedy Trial Act, because she is, in fact, going well beyond what the Speedy Trial Act would otherwise allow.

And she recognized that and made those findings.

So, you're right, there's a lot of discretion.

But there is also a requirement under law that cases move along, especially criminal cases, because there is a public interest and not just a defendant's interest in a speedy trial.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Some of the critics of Judge Cannon have argued that, because of her behavior and some of the things that you have been describing, that special counsel Jack Smith ought to push to get her to recuse herself and, if she refuses, to appeal to the 11th Circuit.

Do you think her actions merit recusal at this point?

MARY MCCORD: So, I think that it's been - - there hasn't been the type of ruling that I would say with confidence that Jack Smith could take up on a motion to recuse, that, if she were to deny that, he could successfully take that up on appeal.

And that's because, in many ways, she has not made definitive rulings on things.

In fact, in denying motions of Mr. Trump to dismiss the case on grounds like Presidential Records Act and other grounds, she's often left open the door for these issues to be revisited later.

So, she's denied them without prejudice, meaning, at this time, but I will revisit this later.

So, these are sort of not rulings that he could easily take up and saying she made such a clear violation of law here, what she did was sort of indisputably wrong, that -- and it shows a bias, and she should be recused.

I think he's waiting, frankly.

I mean, it's an extraordinary move, and if you do it, you do not want to lose that, right, and end up right back in front of that judge.

So, I don't think the time has been quite right for that yet.

And if there is a ruling, particularly in these CIPA hearings, an adverse ruling, that is something the government can appeal under the CIPA procedures.

And depending the scope of that ruling, that might be something that also comes along with it a motion to recuse.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: All right, Mary McCord, as always, thank you so much for helping us get through these legal matters.

MARY MCCORD: My pleasure.

AMNA NAWAZ: In addition to shortages of weapons and artillery in its war with Russia, Ukraine faces a critical manpower problem.

Its troops are weary after more than two years of fighting.

Tens of thousands have been grievously wounded.

And the military is struggling to replenish ranks.

On our recent trip to Ukraine, producer Sam Lane and I reported on both of those challenges.

For 22-year old soldier Ivan Kovalyk, these small steps are a huge leap forward in his recovery.

Last September, on the front lines in Eastern Ukraine, he was picking up equipment with a fellow soldier, and was hit in a Russian strike.

IVAN KOVALYK, Ukrainian Amputee (through translator): It was a small projectile, but it flew right at us.

It just happened to find us.

AMNA NAWAZ: It took three excruciating hours to evacuate Kovalyk.

IVAN KOVALYK (through translator): To be honest, I don't remember much.

I was in and out of consciousness.

My friends tried to cheer me up so I didn't fall asleep.

AMNA NAWAZ: By the time he received treatment, both legs needed to be amputated.

About a month ago, he receive a coveted and rare spot here at the Superhumans Center in the Western region of Lviv.

Superhumans launched in April 2023, the only facility of its Superhumans launched in April 2023, providing free care to Ukrainians wounded in the war, custom prosthetics, specialized rehabilitation services, psychological treatment, and, most recently, reconstructive surgery.

More than 400 patients have received care here, over 560 prosthetics distributed.

They now average about 70 new patients a month, though thousands apply for a spot.

IVAN KOVALYK (through translator): When I first got here, I immediately felt a good, cheerful atmosphere.

I knew everyone was a specialist in their field.

I trusted them completely.

AMNA NAWAZ: So how are the new legs working out?

IVAN KOVALYK: Beautiful.

AMNA NAWAZ: Beautiful?

IVAN KOVALYK: Yes.

(LAUGHTER) AMNA NAWAZ: What can you do now?

What are you working on?

IVAN KOVALYK: All.

AMNA NAWAZ: Everything.

IVAN KOVALYK: I can walk.

I can ride with my friends.

I can study.

AMNA NAWAZ: Everything you used to do before.

IVAN KOVALYK Yes.

AMNA NAWAZ: Vitalii Marchenko has worked as a physical therapist for years.

But the injuries coming to Superhumans are unlike any he's ever treated.

VITALII MARCHENKO, Physical Therapist, Superhumans Center (through translator): This is really a completely different category that requires a lot of knowledge.

Ukraine wasn't ready for this kind of rehabilitation before the war.

That's why I'm here.

It's difficult work seeing what my fellow countrymen are going through.

But I understand I'm using my strengths to make sure their rehabilitation happens quickly and effectively.

AMNA NAWAZ: There are an estimated 20,000 amputees in Ukraine today as a result of Russia's war.

Ukraine is also now the most heavily mined country on the planet.

By the end of this year, there could be some 50,000 Ukrainians in need of prosthetics.

SVITLANA KUTSENKO, Head of Mental Health Rehabilitation, Superhumans Center: The demand is growing.

And since the war has not stopped, we will always have to deal with a certain shortage.

AMNA NAWAZ: Svitlana Kutsenko is the head of mental health rehabilitation at Superhumans.

SVITLANA KUTSENKO: When they get their injuries, it's not only about their bodies.

It's also the image of their body that they lose and the feeling that they are incapable of doing things they are used to do.

Our task is to help them to accept their new image.

The second focus is that we should enable them and show them that they are still capable of many other things that they can do in their lives, and that this is not the end.

AMNA NAWAZ: Russia has intensified it's air campaign in recent months and is reportedly preparing for another offensive in late spring or summer.

Beleaguered Ukrainian forces hope that a $60 billion U.S. aid package will help.

But no amount of money can solve one of Kyiv's biggest problems, a shortage of fighters.

A Ukrainian military commander on the eastern front recently said his troops were outnumbered by as many as 10-1.

Last month, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed measures aimed at bolstering the ranks, including lowering the draft age from 27 to 25.

For Oleksii Melashchenko, that means contemplating a different future.

The Kyiv-based real estate agent turns 24 soon.

Thousands of young men before him fled Ukraine to avoid conscription.

When you think about if you were called up and you had to join the military, how different would your life in the military be from your daily life right now?

OLEKSII MELASHCHENKO, Real Estate Agent: Of course, it'll be different, I'm sure.

AMNA NAWAZ: Yes?

Have you thought about that, about what it would look like and feel like?

OLEKSII MELASHCHENKO: Yes, yes, sure.

I think you will feel a bit afraid, a bit cold, and maybe noisy, especially noisy.

AMNA NAWAZ: But he says he has no plans to leave, nor do his friends.

OLEKSII MELASHCHENKO: Of course I'm afraid.

It's normal, in my opinion.

Only a stupid person's not afraid.

But if it will be our duty and it's time to go, then time to go.

AMNA NAWAZ: Superhumans' Svitlana Kutsenko says many young Ukrainians coming of age in the war will view their future through a different lens than generations past.

SVITLANA KUTSENKO: This is the generation that grew up knowing that you have to fight for your freedom and you have to fight for your identity.

But once it's obtained in the fight, it's valued much more than anything else.

AMNA NAWAZ: When Ivan Kovalyk first arrived at Superhumans, he was told he'd need a year to walk without crutches.

He did it in just a month.

IVAN KOVALYK (through translator): I said, when, if not now?

Let's try it.

Even if it doesn't work, it'll be my little attempt.

So it's not perfect yet, but I will keep improving.

AMNA NAWAZ: He says if allowed, he wants to return to the military to teach new soldiers about perseverance even after a loss.

A lot of people won't understand how you can be so optimistic about your future, when you have been through so much at such a young age.

What would you say to them?

IVAN KOVALYK (through translator): I have always been cheerful, but when I got a second chance at life, I decided I would live it to the fullest.

There's no reason to be sad.

These are my same legs, just a little different.

AMNA NAWAZ: And that is the "NewsHour" for tonight.

I'm Amna Nawaz.

GEOFF BENNETT: And I'm Geoff Bennett.

For all of us here at the "PBS NewsHour," thank you for joining us, and have a good evening.