More than 30 Harvard University student organizations released a joint statement saying that the “Israeli regime [is] entirely responsible” for the surprise attack from Hamas that has killed hundreds of Israelis.
The letter titled “Joint Statement by Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups on the Situation in Palestine” was signed by 31 university clubs, including the school’s Amnesty International affiliate, Harvard Jews for Liberation and the Harvard Islamic Society.
“We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence,” the letter read.
“Today’s events did not occur in a vacuum,” it continued. “For the last two decades, millions of Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to live in an open-air prison.”
The student organization’s letter said that the “apartheid regime is the only one to blame.”
“Israeli violence has structured every aspect of Palestinian existence for 75 years. From systematized land seizures to routine airstrikes, arbitrary detentions to military checkpoints, and enforced family separations to targeted killings, Palestinians have been forced to live in a state of death, both slow and sudden,” the letter continued.
They wrote, “Today, Palestinian ordeal enters into uncharted territory,” and they called on the Harvard community to “take action to stop the ongoing annihilation of Palestinians.”
The letter and Harvard’s silence about it was quickly met with criticism, including from Harvard alumni.
Economist Larry Summers, who served as Secretary of the Treasury and director of the National Economic Council, wrote on X: “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.”
“Instead, Harvard is being defined by the morally unconscionable statement apparently coming from two dozen student groups blaming all the violence on Israel,” Mr. Summers, a past president of Harvard, continued. “I am sickened. I cannot fathom the Administration’s failure to disassociate the University and condemn this statement.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik, New York Republican and Harvard alum condemned the groups.
“It is abhorrent and heinous that Harvard student groups are blaming Israel for Hamas’ barbaric terrorist attacks that have killed over 700 Israelis,” Ms. Stefanik wrote on social media. “Any voice that excuses the slaughter of innocent women and children has chosen the side of evil and terrorism.”
Political scientist Ian Bremmer said he “can’t imagine who would want to identify with such a group.”
“Harvard parents — talk to your educated kids about this,” he wrote on X.
The Washington Times has reached out to Harvard University.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.