Harvard students blame 'apartheid regime' for Israel-Gaza war, alumni react

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Harvard students blame ‘apartheid regime’ for Israel-Gaza war, alumni react

Prominent Harvard alumni express outrage after a coalition of student organisations issues a pro-Palestinian letter.

Published On 10 Oct 2023
10 Oct 2023

A coalition of 34 Harvard University student organisations has issued a pro-Palestinian statement in reaction to the continuing Israel-Gaza war, prompting outrage from the university’s prominent alumni.

The students of the most influential university in United States politics said in the statement published on Monday that they “hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence” between the Palestinians and Israelis following decades of occupation, adding that “the apartheid regime is the only one to blame”. ... Harvard has produced eight former presidents and four of the nine current Supreme Court justices.

The organisations signing the letter included Muslim and Palestinian support groups as well as others named for a variety of backgrounds including the Harvard Jews for Liberation and the African American Resistance Organization.

Prominent Harvard University alumni on Monday denounced the pro-Palestinian statement and urged the university to take action against the signatories. ... Harvard President Lawrence Summers, the former US Treasury secretary under Democratic President Bill Clinton and former university president, was one of several Harvard graduates to criticise the current Harvard leadership for failing to respond.

{snip}

Full disclosure: I have several Harvard bed frames.

[JohnSJ]

1. Nothing justifies the deliberate targeting and killing of civilians.

[Fichefinder]

5. Palestinians are prisoners..

..in their own home. Can't leave, import food, go fishing, have a boat, visit Paris. Are you aware of what happened at Masada?

[JohnSJ]

6. I'll repeat, NOTHING JUSTIFIES THE TARGETING AND KILLING OF CIVILLIANS, NOTHING!!!

[Redleg]

7. I get your point but the targeting and killing of innocent

people living in Gaza will be excused because of the actions of Hamas. "See what you made me do?" will be the excuse that Bibi gives. Innocent people on all sides will be killed and there is nothing stopping it.

Editors note: I apologize for the passive sentence structure.

[JohnSJ]

9. I won't justify Netanyahu's actions

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Harvard Affiliates, Politicians Slam University Leaders Over Late, 'Word Salad' Statement on War

Harvard Affiliates, Politicians Slam University Leaders Over Late, ‘Word Salad’ Statement on War in Israel

By Miles J. Herszenhorn and Claire Yuan, Crimson Staff Writers
8 hours ago

Harvard leadership faced intense criticism over the weekend due to the University’s slow response to the deadly Hamas attack against Israel. But after the school released a statement Monday evening, leadership faced further backlash — this time, for failing to forcefully condemn the attacks and antisemitism.

In a statement signed by University President Claudine Gay and 17 other senior Harvard officials, administrators said they were “heartbroken by the death and destruction” caused by the surprise Hamas attack on Saturday and Israel’s retaliation against Gaza.

Students and faculty members — including former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers — called on University leaders to address the war that has already killed more than 900 people in Israel and at least 687 Palestinians. ... Before the University-wide email, Summers wrote in a Monday afternoon post on X that he was “sickened” by Harvard’s lack of public statement.

“The silence from Harvard’s leadership, so far, coupled with a vocal and widely reported student groups’ statement blaming Israel solely, has allowed Harvard to appear at best neutral towards acts of terror against the Jewish state of Israel,” he wrote. ... Summers’ post referred to a statement by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee in which the group called the government of Israel “entirely responsible” for the ongoing violence in the region.

{snip}

[madaboutharry]

3. Harvard is failing to teach critical thinking skills.

The statement demonstrates the total failure of learning and understanding the complicated history of the Middle East.

It’s easy to adopt slogans, jump on band wagons, and think it makes you look like you are a caring person. What these students, and those who think like them, have actually done is side with terrorist whose only purpose for existence is to kill Jews.

[Redleg]

8. Your own statement suggests lack of understanding of the totality of the history of the region

Killing Jews may be one motivation, but I think this ignores other potential motives for direct action. It seems to me that a lot of people see this situation in simplistic terms. It's an easy thing to ascribe such motives to a whole group of people but that doesn't make it the only correct viewpoint.

[Doodley]

4. Even Harvard can't fix stupid. 260 people killed indiscriminately in a music festival, women

abused and kidnapped, children taken after seeing parents executed, people executed in their beds, and the terrorists weren't responsible, it was Israel or if you listen to Trump and many Republicans, it's Joe Biden's fault? These statements give succor to the terrorists. They are made by people who choose to sympathize and support the terrorists.