Debate on Campus Over Hamas' Attacks on Israel Divides College Administrators and Student Groups
Key Highlights :
Amidst a fierce debate over how to respond to the recent attacks in Israel, college presidents across the country have called for calm and compassion while student associations have pushed a pro-Palestinian narrative. On Tuesday, New York University School of Law was at the center of the debate when the president of the student bar association wrote in the association’s newsletter to “not condemn Palestinian resistance.” The statement was met with swift backlash from political leaders on both sides of the aisle, as well as from Jewish students and alumni at the school.
The ideological battle on college campuses is indicative of the broader culture war issues in the nation, and has caused a divide among progressives over how to respond to the violence in Israel. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) spoke out against the anti-Semitic messages from a rally, and Cornel West, the professor-turned-left wing presidential candidate, said he agreed in part with a student-led statement pinning the the assault on Israel. Meanwhile, Harvard University faced criticism from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and former Harvard President Larry Summers for not condemning a student statement.
At Columbia University, the president of the school, Minouche Shafik, said she was “devastated” by the attack and “the ensuing violence that is affecting so many people.” Stanford University has also come under fire for not denouncing the banners celebrating the bombardments, while pro-Palestinian students at CSU Long Beach planned a rally Tuesday afternoon. The Anti-Defamation League condemned the student rallies and statements at Stanford, UC Berkeley and CSU Long Beach, calling it “painful to see the glorification of violence by these misguided student groups.”
At Georgetown University, Law Students for Justice in Palestine reaffirmed their “support and full solidarity” with Palestinians after the university’s president, John DeGioia, referred to the offensive as “an unprecedented terrorist act.” Other groups had a more measured response, such as the student bar association at Fordham University’s law school, which criticized all acts of violence against innocent civilians and acknowledged Israeli, Palestinian and American casualties.
The debate on campuses across the country has been a stark reminder of the deep divisions on the issue of Israel and Palestine, and of the need for civil discourse and understanding. As college administrators and student associations continue to grapple with the situation, it is important to remember the human cost of the conflict and to treat each other with care and respect as we navigate these difficult conversations.
