Elite college students accuse Israel of being responsible for the recent Hamas terror attack.
Image CreditFDRLST / Canva
Students at prestigious universities nationwide are rallying behind Palestine following the recent Hamas attack on Israel. Over 30 Harvard student organizations joined forces to release a powerful statement on the day of the assault, placing the blame solely on Israel for the escalating violence.
At Columbia University, students from the groups Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace asserted that the Israeli extremist government, along with other Western governments, bears the responsibility for the war and casualties. Similarly, Students for Justice in Palestine at Northwestern University affirmed their unwavering commitment to shedding light on the profound injustices faced by the Palestinian people.
These statements all employ left-wing, anti-colonial rhetoric. Harvard students describe Israel as an “apartheid regime” that forces Palestinians into “colonial retaliation.” Columbia students characterize Israelis as “extremist… colonial-settlers.” Northwestern University students argue that it is a “grievous miscarriage of justice” to portray Palestinians as aggressors and deem it “morally untenable” to view Israel as the victim.
“From Algeria to Ireland, from South Africa to Vietnam, from East Timur to Tibet, and from Native American to Black American civil rights struggles, the human desire for autonomy and dignity has historically remained powerful and unwavering,” wrote the Northwestern students. ”The Palestinian narrative and efforts are woven from this same fabric of endurance and determination.”
These statements have faced criticism from various professors and concerned alumni of these universities. Former Harvard University president and former National Economic Council member for President Obama, Lawrence Summers, expressed his disillusionment and alienation on Twitter, stating that he has never felt this way in his nearly 50 years of affiliation with Harvard. Summers also criticized the Harvard Administration for failing to condemn and distance the university from these student groups’ statement.
Investigative journalist Christopher Rufo responded to Summers, pointing out his own responsibility in allowing these cultural forces to grow on Ivy League campuses during his tenure. Rufo then shared a list of current Harvard courses on “decolonization.”
“It’s amazing to me how many center-left intellectuals, who have spent decades making excuses for the rhetoric of ‘decolonization,’ are now shocked to see what it means: the targeted demonization and murder of the ‘oppressor class,'” Rufo wrote in a separate tweet.
Here are some of the current Harvard courses on ”decolonization,” promoting theories of “anticolonial struggle” and “how BIPOC communities forged [intersectional] solidarities to rebel against global white supremacy.”
In practice, decolonization means Gaza-style violence. pic.twitter.com/jygas8Pqox
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 9, 2023
“Boomer hippies thought K-12 progressive indoctrination would turn kids into sensitive, feminized pro-choice climate change activists. But oops, they turned them into vicious little fanatics thirsty for blood instead,” added Federalist Senior Contributor Peachy Keenan.
Evita Duffy-Alfonso is a staff writer for The Federalist and co-founder of the Chicago Thinker. She has a deep love for the Midwest, lumberjack sports, writing, and her family. Follow her on Twitter at @evitaduffy_1 or contact her at [email protected].
What are the consequences and potential outcomes of the growing influence of left-wing, anti-colonial rhetoric on university campuses, and how are universities addressing the concerns raised by their critics
This article discusses the recent show of support for Palestine by student organizations at prestigious universities across the United States. It focuses on the statements released by student groups at Harvard, Columbia, and Northwestern universities, which place the blame for the escalating violence solely on Israel.
At Harvard, over 30 student organizations joined forces to release a powerful statement on the day of the Hamas attack, condemning Israel for the violence. Similarly, students from Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace at Columbia University asserted that the Israeli extremist government, along with other Western governments, bears responsibility for the war and casualties. Northwestern University’s Students for Justice in Palestine affirmed their unwavering commitment to shedding light on the injustices faced by the Palestinian people.
The statements released by these student groups all employ left-wing, anti-colonial rhetoric. They describe Israel as an “apartheid regime” and characterize Israelis as “extremist colonial-settlers.” These statements have faced criticism from various professors and concerned alumni of these universities, including Lawrence Summers, former president of Harvard University.
Lawrence Summers expressed his disillusionment and alienation on Twitter, stating that he has never felt this way in his nearly 50 years of affiliation with Harvard. Summers also criticized the Harvard Administration for failing to condemn and distance the university from these student groups’ statements. Investigative journalist Christopher Rufo responded to Summers, pointing out his own responsibility in allowing these cultural forces to grow on Ivy League campuses during his tenure.
The article raises questions about the growing influence of left-wing, anti-colonial rhetoric on university campuses and the potential consequences of such influence. It highlights the divided opinions among the academic community and concerned alumni regarding the stance taken by these student groups. The discussion surrounding this issue is ongoing, and it remains to be seen how these universities will address the concerns raised by their critics.
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