Harvard University often considered the pinnacle of academic prestige, is now grappling with a storm of controversy following a pro-Palestinian statement released by a coalition of 34 student organizations.
The statement, published on Monday, attributed the escalating Israel-Gaza conflict to the Israeli regime, holding it "entirely responsible for all unfolding violence." The students argued that the decades-long occupation and the existence of an apartheid regime were the root causes of the ongoing conflict.
The signatories of the letter represented a diverse array of backgrounds, including Muslim and Palestinian support groups, as well as unexpected groups like Harvard Jews for Liberation and the African American Resistance Organization.
This unexpected alliance fuelled the intensity of reactions from some of Harvard's alumni, who expressed outrage and called for action against the signatories.
Former Harvard President Lawrence Summers, a distinguished alumnus and former US Treasury Secretary, criticized the university's leadership for their perceived silence on the matter.
In a social media post, Summers expressed his deep concern, stating that the silence allowed Harvard to appear, at best, neutral towards what he termed as "acts of terror against the Jewish state of Israel."
Prominent figures like Republican US Representative Elise Stefanik and Senator Ted Cruz, both Harvard graduates, voiced their condemnation, with Stefanik deeming the statement "abhorrent and heinous" for seemingly excusing the "slaughter of innocent women and children."
In response, Harvard President Claudine Gay and senior leadership issued a statement expressing being "heartbroken by the death and destruction unleashed by the attack by Hamas that targeted citizens in Israel this weekend."
However, the statement carefully avoided direct references to the student letter or the alumni's reactions, leaving the university at the centre of a heated debate over the balance between academic freedom and political sensitivity.