Discussion:
Harvard students scramble to take back support for letter attacking Israel as some CEOs look to blacklist them
(too old to reply)
Leroy N. Soetoro
2023-10-13 22:34:49 UTC
Permalink
https://nypost.com/2023/10/11/harvard-students-take-back-support-for-
hamas/

A flurry of Harvard University students and groups are desperately trying
to backtrack on their support of a letter blaming Israel for the mass
slaughter of its own people by Hamas terrorists — as some business titans
seek to blacklist them from future jobs.

Four of the initial 34 student organizations attached to the inflammatory
statement have already withdrawn their support — while board members of
other groups have quit to distance themselves.

Late Tuesday, 17 other Harvard groups joined around 500 faculty and staff
and 3,000 others in signing a counter-statement attacking the other
groups’ letter as “completely wrong and deeply offensive,” according to
the campus paper, the Harvard Crimson.

A third letter from nearly 160 faculty members also ripped Harvard’s
response to the scandal, writing that it “can be seen as nothing less than
condoning the mass murder of civilians based only on their nationality.”

Others in groups supporting the initial letter — which held “the Israeli
regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence” — quit while
distancing themselves from any involvement.

https://nypost.com/wp-
content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/NYPICHPDPICT000060377678.jpg?resize=1024,3
67&quality=75&strip=all

“As a board member of a Harvard group that signed the statement on Israel,
I think it was egregious and have resigned from my role,” Danielle
Mikaelian tweeted Monday.

“I am sorry for the pain this caused,” the law student continued. “My
organization did not have a formal process, and I didn’t even see the
statement until we had signed on.”

Mikaelian added that she “prevented another student group I remain on the
board of from signing on when I saw the statement.

“This statement is not representative of my values, and my heart is with
those impacted.”

“I also want to make it clear that I know firsthand some of my fellow
students are in this situation too,” Mikaelian wrote, noting: “I wasn’t
the only board member who stepped down today.”

Law student Mohini Tangri also tweeted that “many members had no say in
whether their [organizations] signed” the letter.

“Many weren’t even notified that their [organizations] were considering
doing so,” she claimed.

A number of student organizations have also put out statements in recent
days announcing that they are rescinding their signatures from the
controversial statement.

In a statement posted to Instagram, Harvard Ghungroo said it “would like
to formally apologize for co-signing the statement made by the Harvard
Palestinian Committee and have formally retracted our signature.

https://nypost.com/wp-
content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/NYPICHPDPICT000060377680.jpg?resize=683,10
24&quality=75&strip=all

https://nypost.com/wp-
content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/NYPICHPDPICT000060377681.jpg?resize=1024,2
99&quality=75&strip=all

“We would like to clarify that we stand in solidarity with both Israeli
and Palestinian victims and families,” the group wrote.

“Harvard Undergraduate Ghungroo strictly denounces and condemns the
massacre propagated by the terrorist organization Hamas. We truly
apologize for the insensitivity of the statement that was released
recently.”

https://nypost.com/wp-
content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/NYPICHPDPICT000060377674.jpg?resize=918,10
24&quality=75&strip=all

The Harvard Undergraduate Nepali Student Association also released a
statement on Instagram expressing “regret” at signing the letter that “has
been interpreted as a tacit support for the recent violent attacks in
Israel.

“We deplore the attacks that have taken the lives of hundreds of innocent
civilians, including 10 Nepali students in Israel,” the student
organization continued.

“To ensure that our stance on the condemnation of violence by Hamas and
support for a just peace remains clear, we retract our signature from the
statement,” it concluded.

https://nypost.com/wp-
content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/NYPICHPDPICT000060378769.jpg?resize=1024,5
13&quality=75&strip=all

Harvard College Act on a Dream told the student paper that it only signed
as “a result of miscommunication and a lack of due diligence.”

“The endorsement of [the] statement in no way reflects their individual
opinions about the ensuing violence in Palestine and Israel.”

The statement released by the Harvard Palestinian Committee no longer
lists the more than 30 student groups that had originally signed on to the
statement, but rather says: “This statement was co-authored by a coalition
of Palestine solidarity groups at Harvard.

“For student safety, the names of all original signing organizations have
been concealed at this time.”

But the student organizations only seemed to have released their
statements after billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman called for the
university to release the names of the students in these groups so that
they will not be hired by Wall Street.

“I have been asked by a number of CEOs if Harvard would release a list of
the members of each of the Harvard organizations that have issued the
letter assigning sole responsibility for Hamas’ heinous acts to Israel, so
as to insure that none of us inadvertently hire any of their members,”
Ackman, the billionaire founder of hedge fund giant Pershing Square
Capital Management, wrote on his X social media account on Tuesday.

“If, in fact, their members support the letter they have released, the
names of the signatories should be made public so their views are publicly
known.”

Ackman, a Harvard grad who has a net worth of $3.5 billion, added: “One
should not be able to hide behind a corporate shield when issuing
statements supporting the actions of terrorists, who, we now learn, have
beheaded babies, among other inconceivably despicable acts.”

As the backlash raged, Harvard president Claudine Gay released a statement
Tuesday saying: “Let there be no doubt that I condemn the terrorist
atrocities perpetrated by Hamas.

“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.

“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.”
--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.

Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.

No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.

Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.

Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.

President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.
Danielle Mikaelian
2024-01-11 02:09:38 UTC
Permalink
I hope this finds you well. I am a student mentioned in the article and am respectfully asking that you remove this post. I was out of town when my group signed and was not consulted. Being in posts/articles that mention students backtracking has made individuals believe an incorrect narrative. Thank you in advance.
Post by Leroy N. Soetoro
https://nypost.com/2023/10/11/harvard-students-take-back-support-for-
hamas/
A flurry of Harvard University students and groups are desperately trying
to backtrack on their support of a letter blaming Israel for the mass
slaughter of its own people by Hamas terrorists — as some business titans
seek to blacklist them from future jobs.
Four of the initial 34 student organizations attached to the inflammatory
statement have already withdrawn their support — while board members of
other groups have quit to distance themselves.
Late Tuesday, 17 other Harvard groups joined around 500 faculty and staff
and 3,000 others in signing a counter-statement attacking the other
groups’ letter as “completely wrong and deeply offensive,” according to
the campus paper, the Harvard Crimson.
A third letter from nearly 160 faculty members also ripped Harvard’s
response to the scandal, writing that it “can be seen as nothing less than
condoning the mass murder of civilians based only on their nationality.”
Others in groups supporting the initial letter — which held “the Israeli
regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence” — quit while
distancing themselves from any involvement.
https://nypost.com/wp-
content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/NYPICHPDPICT000060377678.jpg?resize=1024,3
67&quality=75&strip=all
“As a board member of a Harvard group that signed the statement on Israel,
I think it was egregious and have resigned from my role,” Danielle
Mikaelian tweeted Monday.
“I am sorry for the pain this caused,” the law student continued. “My
organization did not have a formal process, and I didn’t even see the
statement until we had signed on.”
Mikaelian added that she “prevented another student group I remain on the
board of from signing on when I saw the statement.
“This statement is not representative of my values, and my heart is with
those impacted.”
“I also want to make it clear that I know firsthand some of my fellow
students are in this situation too,” Mikaelian wrote, noting: “I wasn’t
the only board member who stepped down today.”
Law student Mohini Tangri also tweeted that “many members had no say in
whether their [organizations] signed” the letter.
“Many weren’t even notified that their [organizations] were considering
doing so,” she claimed.
A number of student organizations have also put out statements in recent
days announcing that they are rescinding their signatures from the
controversial statement.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Harvard Ghungroo said it “would like
to formally apologize for co-signing the statement made by the Harvard
Palestinian Committee and have formally retracted our signature.
https://nypost.com/wp-
content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/NYPICHPDPICT000060377680.jpg?resize=683,10
24&quality=75&strip=all
https://nypost.com/wp-
content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/NYPICHPDPICT000060377681.jpg?resize=1024,2
99&quality=75&strip=all
“We would like to clarify that we stand in solidarity with both Israeli
and Palestinian victims and families,” the group wrote.
“Harvard Undergraduate Ghungroo strictly denounces and condemns the
massacre propagated by the terrorist organization Hamas. We truly
apologize for the insensitivity of the statement that was released
recently.”
https://nypost.com/wp-
content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/NYPICHPDPICT000060377674.jpg?resize=918,10
24&quality=75&strip=all
The Harvard Undergraduate Nepali Student Association also released a
statement on Instagram expressing “regret” at signing the letter that “has
been interpreted as a tacit support for the recent violent attacks in
Israel.
“We deplore the attacks that have taken the lives of hundreds of innocent
civilians, including 10 Nepali students in Israel,” the student
organization continued.
“To ensure that our stance on the condemnation of violence by Hamas and
support for a just peace remains clear, we retract our signature from the
statement,” it concluded.
https://nypost.com/wp-
content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/NYPICHPDPICT000060378769.jpg?resize=1024,5
13&quality=75&strip=all
Harvard College Act on a Dream told the student paper that it only signed
as “a result of miscommunication and a lack of due diligence.”
“The endorsement of [the] statement in no way reflects their individual
opinions about the ensuing violence in Palestine and Israel.”
The statement released by the Harvard Palestinian Committee no longer
lists the more than 30 student groups that had originally signed on to the
statement, but rather says: “This statement was co-authored by a coalition
of Palestine solidarity groups at Harvard.
“For student safety, the names of all original signing organizations have
been concealed at this time.”
But the student organizations only seemed to have released their
statements after billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman called for the
university to release the names of the students in these groups so that
they will not be hired by Wall Street.
“I have been asked by a number of CEOs if Harvard would release a list of
the members of each of the Harvard organizations that have issued the
letter assigning sole responsibility for Hamas’ heinous acts to Israel, so
as to insure that none of us inadvertently hire any of their members,”
Ackman, the billionaire founder of hedge fund giant Pershing Square
Capital Management, wrote on his X social media account on Tuesday.
“If, in fact, their members support the letter they have released, the
names of the signatories should be made public so their views are publicly
known.”
Ackman, a Harvard grad who has a net worth of $3.5 billion, added: “One
should not be able to hide behind a corporate shield when issuing
statements supporting the actions of terrorists, who, we now learn, have
beheaded babies, among other inconceivably despicable acts.”
As the backlash raged, Harvard president Claudine Gay released a statement
Tuesday saying: “Let there be no doubt that I condemn the terrorist
atrocities perpetrated by Hamas.
“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.
“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.”
--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.
Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.
Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.
Loading...