Harvard Slammed After Student Anti-Israel Letter

In the Israel-Palestine conflicts, over 29,000 people in Israel and Gaza have been killed. 

The Prime minister of Israel declared themselves “at war” with Hamas after the Palestinian group launched an unprecedented attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip (Reals, Tucker, and Charlie D’Agata, 2023). Israel responded by striking Hamas ruthlessly with airstrikes, wiping out entire families trapped in Hamas. 

Amid the Israel-Hamas war, hearing news of the Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, a group of Harvard students rushed to make an “emergency statement,” gathering a voice for all the Palestine allies on the campus. 

An alliance of 34 Harvard Groups published that they “hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence" and that "the apartheid regime is the only one to blame." (Trotta, 2023) 

The organizations ended their statement by signing the letter; the groups signing the letter included Muslim and Palestine groups, in addition to other affinity groups from different backgrounds. 

The students who released the letter have received much outrage. Billionaire hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman demands the University to release the names of the students who were affiliated with the letter to blacklist them, and many several other businesses have sought the same (Egan, 2023).

In response to the backlash of the letter, many students have distanced themselves or withdrawn their endorsement. 

On October 11, a billboard truck showed up on Harvard’s campus, flashing photos of the students in the groups that had signed the letter. Their faces were publicly exposed, and personal details leaked (McNamara, 2023).

Harvard did not immediately respond to the student's letter, seeming negligent. Harvard President Claudine Gay only referenced the deaths and violence in the Israel-Hamas war after the letter was revoked. Recently, the Harvard president responded at an Alumni event, “I condemn antisemitism in all forms, and it has no place at Harvard.” Gay added, “While our students have a right to speak for themselves, no student group - not even 30 student groups - speaks for Harvard University or its leadership.” (CBS News, 2023)

Some Harvard alumni still slammed Harvard University for allowing the letter to be published. Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz posted on X: “What the hell is wrong with Harvard?” Other members of Harvard Alumni write that the university has “utterly failed” in its response to the Hamas’ attack on Israel. 

Now, the doxxed student communities are being supported by Harvard for their safety, yet students criticize Harvard for not offering help sooner. Yet, a student speaks out that “the only thing I can contribute to the safety of Palestinians all over the world is my voice. So I have to keep using it.” (McNamara, 2023)

Work Cited

Egan, Matt. “Harvard Student Groups Issued an Anti-Israel Statement. CEOS Want Them Blacklisted | CNN Business.” CNN, October 12, 2023. https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/11/business/harvard-israel-hamas-ceos-students/index.html.

“Larry Hogan Latest to Pull Back from Harvard over Student Groups’ Letter Blaming Israel for Hamas Attacks.” CBS News, October 24, 2023. https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/larry-hogan-latest-to-pull-back-from-harvard-over-student-groups-letter-blaming-israel-for-hamas-attacks/.

McNamara, Brittney. “Harvard Students Doxxed for Israel-Palestine Letter Speak Out.” Teen Vogue, October 27, 2023. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/harvard-students-doxxed-for-israel-palestine-letter-speak-out#:~:text=%E2%80%9CToday’s%20events%20did%20not%20occur,in%20Gaza%20have%20already%20commenced%E2%80%A6.

Reals, Tucker, and Charlie D’Agata. “Gaza Journalists Risk Everything to Report on the Israel-Hamas War Raging around Them.” CBS News. Accessed October 20, 2023. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-journalists-risk-lives-to-report/.

Trotta, Daniel. “Pro-Palestinian Letter from Harvard Students Provokes Alumni Outrage.” Reuters, October 10, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pro-palestinian-letter-harvard-students-provokes-alumni-outrage-2023-10-10/.