This presentation will explore the violent events of May 2021 as experienced by Palestinian Arab Israeli (PAI) undergraduate students on Israeli campuses. Using interviews with students, academics and members of civil society organisations, this research uncovers a host of emotional, social and political processes that arose due to the violence witnessed by the students. These processes led PAI students to withdraw from their campuses and mobilise within their communities to address needs unmet by official authorities, including universities. The presentation will also reflect on the relevance of the findings in light of the current war, as well as on the challenges of writing about the Israeli higher education context in this climate.