Harvard leadership has finally issued a statement in response to the Palestinian terrorist attack against Israel over weekend, after being called out by former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Larry Summers — and others — for their “silence.” University leadership, however, made no mention of their students expressing support for the Hamas terrorists.
“Dear Members of the Harvard Community,” the statement began. “We write to you today heartbroken by the death and destruction unleashed by the attack by Hamas that targeted citizens in Israel this weekend, and by the war in Israel and Gaza now under way.”
The statement continued:
The violence hits all too close to home for many at Harvard. Some members of our community have lost family members and friends; some have been unable to reach loved ones. And, even for people at Harvard who have not been affected directly by the fighting, there are feelings of fear, sadness, anger, and more that create a heavy burden. We have heard from many students, faculty, and staff about the emotional toll that these events are taking.
The statement — signed by Harvard President Claudine Gay, Provost Alan M. Garber, Executive Vice President Meredith Weenick, and 15 deans — did not push back in any way against the scores of student groups that issued a statement expressing their support for terrorists and blaming Israel for Hamas killing hundreds of Israelis.
“Across Harvard, we will continue providing as much support to our students and colleagues as possible,” the statement read. “We have also heard an interest from many in understanding more clearly what has been happening in Israel and Gaza.”
“Even as we attend immediately to the needs of our community members, we can take steps as an academic community to deepen our knowledge of the unfolding events and their broader implications for the region and the world,” Harvard leadership stated. “We expect there will be many such opportunities in…