Harvard professors criticize campus groups for anti-Israel statement.
Harvard Professors Condemn Anti-Israel Statement Amidst Hamas Attacks
Harvard professors Larry Summers and Jason Furman expressed their outrage towards several campus groups for releasing an explicitly anti-Israel statement following devastating attacks by Hamas terrorists on Israel. The attacks resulted in the kidnapping, torture, and killing of hundreds of Israeli civilians.
The joint statement, which targeted Israel from the start, claimed that the Israeli regime was entirely responsible for the unfolding violence. It conveniently ignored the unprovoked attacks by Hamas and focused solely on what they called “retaliation” from Israel.
Larry Summers responded to the statement with shock and disappointment, stating that he had never felt as disillusioned and alienated from Harvard in his nearly 50 years of affiliation. He criticized the university’s leadership for remaining silent and allowing student groups to solely blame Israel for acts of terror.
In nearly 50 years of @Harvard affiliation, I have never been as disillusioned and alienated as I am today.
— Lawrence H. Summers (@LHSummers) October 9, 2023
Summers further criticized Harvard’s leadership for their silence on the ongoing massacre of Israelis, despite voicing support for other causes such as Ukraine and condemning police violence. He called for the university to disassociate itself from the anti-Israel statement and issue statements condemning the terrorist attacks.
Instead, Harvard is being defined by the harvard-profs-unload-on-campus-groups-over-anti-israel-statement/” title=”Harvard professors criticize campus groups for anti-Israel statement.”>morally unconscionable statement apparently coming from two dozen student groups blaming all the violence on Israel. I am sickened. I cannot fathom the Administration’s failure to disassociate the University and condemn this statement.
— Lawrence H. Summers (@LHSummers) October 9, 2023
Jason Furman, another Harvard professor, joined Summers in condemning the anti-Israel statement. He expressed his concern over the global attention it was receiving and called the sentiments expressed in the statement morally ignorant. Furman hoped that the statement did not represent the majority of students and urged for a stronger condemnation of the attacks.
It is getting global attention and the sentiments it expresses are egregious. Blaming the victims for the slaughter of hundreds of civilians. Absolving the perpetrators of any agency. This is morally ignorant and painful for other members of the community.
— Jason Furman (@jasonfurman) October 10, 2023
Furman also shared a comment from a graduate student who was a member of the undersigned groups and expressed her anger at having such sentiments associated with her name. He criticized the statement issued by University President Claudine Gay, stating that it did not go far enough in condemning the attacks.
Student Groups that Signed the Joint Statement:
- African American Resistance Organization
- Amnesty International at Harvard
- Bengali Association of Students at Harvard College
- Harvard Act on a Dream
- Harvard Arab Medical and Dental Student Association
- Harvard Chan Muslim Student Association
- Harvard Chan Students for Health Equity and Justice in Palestine
- Harvard College Pakistan Student Association
- Harvard Divinity School Muslim Association
- Harvard Middle Eastern and North African Law Student Association
- Harvard Graduate School of Education Islamic Society
- Harvard Graduate Students for Palestine
- Harvard Islamic Society
- Harvard Law School Justice for Palestine
- Harvard Divinity School Students for Justice in Palestine
- Harvard Jews for Liberation
- Harvard Kennedy School Bangladesh Caucus
- Harvard Kennedy School Muslim Caucus
- Harvard Kennedy School Muslim Women’s Caucus
- Harvard Kennedy School Palestine Caucus
- Harvard Kennedy School South Asia Caucus Leadership
- Harvard Muslim Law School Association
- Harvard Pakistan Forum
- Harvard Prison Divest Coalition
- Harvard South Asian Law Students Association
- Harvard South Asians for Forward-Thinking Advocacy and Research
- Harvard TPS Coalition
- Harvard Undergraduate Arab Women’s Collective
- Harvard Undergraduate Ghungroo
- Harvard Undergraduate Muslim Women’s Medical Alliance
- Harvard Undergraduate Nepali Students Association
- Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee
- Middle East and North African Graduate School of Design Student Society
- Neighbor Program Cambridge
- Sikhs and Companions of Harvard Undergraduates
- Society of Arab Students