Harvard president distances university from student groups who claimed Israel was 'entirely responsible' for Hamas' massacre of civilians

On Tuesday, Harvard president Claudine Gay released a follow-up to her previous statement regarding Hamas' massacre of civilians in Israel, distancing the institution from the dozens of student groups who claimed Israel was "entirely responsible" for the death and destruction brought upon its people by the Iranian-backed Palestinian terrorist organization.

Over the weekend, a joint statement from the over 30 pro-Palestinian student groups went viral, and led many to believe that their sentiments were shared by the university itself.
 

"As the events of recent days continue to reverberate, let there be no doubt that I condemn the terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Hamas," Gay began. "Such inhumanity is abhorrent, whatever one’s individual views of the origins of longstanding conflicts in the region."

"Let me also state, on this matter as on others, that while our students have the right to speak for themselves, no student group — not even 30 student groups — speaks for Harvard University or its leadership," she added.

"We will all be well served in such a difficult moment by rhetoric that aims to illuminate and not inflame. And I appeal to all of us in this community of learning to keep this in mind as our conversations continue."

In her original statement released on Sunday, Gay said she was "heartbroken" by the violence, and vowed to assist those in the Harvard community who were impacted, however, she failed to address the student groups.

"The delayed Harvard leadership statement fails to meet the needs of the moment," former president and former Clinton Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers wrote on X prior to the release of Gay's updated statement. "Why can't we find anything approaching the moral clarity of Harvard statements after George Floyd's death or Russia's invasion of Ukraine when terrorists kill, rape and take hostage hundreds of Israelis attending a music festival?"

"Why can't we give reassurance that the University stands squarely against Hamas terror to frightened students when 35 groups of their fellow students appear to be blaming all the violence on Israel?" he asked.

In their joint statement, the aforementioned groups called Israel an "apartheid regime," and said it was "the only one to blame" for the terror.

"Israeli violence has structured every aspect of Palestinian existence for 75 years," they added. "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."