{"id":2062281,"date":"2023-10-10T16:18:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T20:18:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/columbia-law-dean-does-damage-control-after-mealy-mouthed-israel-statement\/"},"modified":"2023-10-10T16:21:19","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T20:21:19","slug":"columbia-law-dean-does-damage-control-after-mealy-mouthed-israel-statement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/columbia-law-dean-does-damage-control-after-mealy-mouthed-israel-statement\/","title":{"rendered":"Columbia Law Dean&#8217;s Israel Statement Sparks Controversy"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcolumbia-law-dean-does-damage-control-after-mealy-mouthed-israel-statement%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2062281&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Backpedaling\u2062 comes as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/college-scales-back-bias-response-teams-after-legal-challenge\/\" title=\"College Scales Back \u2018Bias Response\u2019 Teams After Legal Challenge\">student groups<\/a> around the country declare\u200b support for Hamas<\/h2>\n<figure><figcaption>(Reuters\/Amir Cohen \u200cand \u200blaw.columbia.edu)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div>\n<p>The dean of Columbia\u200d Law School,\u200c Gillian Lester, is doing damage\u200b control in the wake of a muted statement about the &#8220;violence that erupted in Israel&#8221; over the weekend, issuing \u2063a new statement on Tuesday \u2063that blamed Hamas \u200cfor the attacks and described them as an act \u200bof terrorism.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I want to acknowledge the trauma, fear, and despair that you are feeling in the aftermath of the atrocious terrorist attacks on Israel and innocent civilians by Hamas, and Israel\u2019s subsequent declaration of war,&#8221; \u200cLester emailed the school. Her <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/campus\/columbia-law-school-dean-gives-both-sides-treatment-to-hamass-terrorist-rampage-in-israel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">initial statement<\/a>, released on Monday, did not acknowledge\u200d Hamas\u2019s role in a massacre that killed over 900 Israelis, most of them civilians.<\/p>\n<p>The Tuesday message also called on students to <strong>&#8220;treat each other with respect, civility, and generosity,\u2063 even when we disagree.&#8221;<\/strong> \u2064 That plea came after 15\u2062 student groups, \u200dled by \u200cColumbia\u2019s chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, \u2063issued a statement blaming Israel\u200b for the weekend\u2019s atrocities and \u2062asserting that the Jewish state had no right \u200cto defend itself.<\/p>\n<p>Lester did not respond \u200bto a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Other universities are facing backlash over their milquetoast responses to the violence, which is being described as the single deadliest attack\u200d on Jews since the Holocaust. After 34 Harvard student groups blamed Israel \u200cfor the massacre, former \u200dHarvard president Larry Summers on Monday \u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/national-security\/former-harvard-president-sickened-by-schools-neutral-stance-on-anti-jewish-terrorism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">blasted<\/a> the \u200cuniversity \u200cfor its &#8220;neutral&#8221; stance, saying he had &#8220;never been as disillusioned and alienated as I am \u200btoday.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The\u200b school released a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fed-chair-powell-makes-admission-about-chances-of-recession\/\" title=\"Powell admits possibility of recession.\">mealy-mouthed statement<\/a> that\u2063 night lamenting the violence. On Tuesday the president of the university,\u200b Claudine \u200cGay, released a stronger statement, condemning\u2063 Hamas\u2019s &#8220;terrorist atrocities&#8221; and making it clear that the 34 student groups did not speak for Harvard.<\/p>\n<p>Numerous student organizations across the country have sided with Hamas. Swarthmore\u2019s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/zach_kessel\/status\/1711736818545111422?s=61&#038;t=6Ve-iSSEGZmZ1KVpsighKw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">praised<\/a> the &#8220;martyrs&#8221; resisting the &#8220;Zionist regime \u200dby any means necessary.&#8221; George Washington University\u2019s chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/marymargolohan\/status\/1711765773142614335?s=61&#038;t=6Ve-iSSEGZmZ1KVpsighKw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">declared<\/a> its\u2062 &#8220;full support&#8221; for the attacks, adding\u2063 that &#8220;we reject the distinction between \u2018civilian\u2019 and \u2018militant.\u2019&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>At New York University Law School, the president \u200cof the student bar\u2062 association, Ryna Workman, released a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/yair_rosenberg\/status\/1711790931299426802?s=61&#038;t=6Ve-iSSEGZmZ1KVpsighKw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statement<\/a> on Monday affirming her solidarity with Hamas.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I will not \u200ccondemn Palestinian resistance,&#8221; she said, adding \u2063that the terrorist attacks were &#8220;necessary.&#8221; Instead, &#8220;I condemn the \u200cviolence of obfuscating genocide as a \u2018complex issue.\u2019&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Workman was a summer associate \u2062at Winston &#038; Strawn \u2062this year, meaning she\u2064 will\u2062 likely be invited back to the white-shoe firm after graduation. Workman and Winston Strawn did not respond to requests for\u200d comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What responsibility do universities have in \u2064addressing\u2064 and combating\u2062 anti-Semitic sentiments on campuses<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2062 And current US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers called on the university to \u2063take stronger\u200b action. In a statement, Summers said, &#8220;Blaming Israel for\u2064 defending itself against terrorist\u2064 attacks is not only morally wrong but also dangerous. Universities have a responsibility to foster an\u2062 environment of open debate and intellectual rigor, but that does \u2062not\u200b extend to providing a platform for hate speech and anti-Semitic views.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The situation at universities around the country is \u2062concerning, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/columbia-law-dean-does-damage-control-after-mealy-mouthed-israel-statement\/\" title=\"Columbia Law Dean's Israel Statement Sparks Controversy\">student groups declare support<\/a> for Hamas without fully \u2063understanding the implications of their\u200b statements. Hamas \u2062is recognized as a terrorist\u200d organization by the United States,\u200c the European Union, and several other countries. \u2063It is responsible for numerous attacks on innocent civilians, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/progressive-squad-members-under-fire-after-pathetic-response-to-barbaric-hamas-invasion\/\" title=\"Progressive 'Squad' members face criticism for weak reaction to brutal Hamas invasion.\">including suicide bombings<\/a> and \u200crocket attacks targeting Israeli\u2062 cities.<\/p>\n<p>To blame Israel for the\u2062 recent violence is not only misguided but also ignores \u200bthe \u2064context in\u200b which these events \u2064are taking place. The current escalation of violence began with Hamas launching rocket attacks against Israeli civilians, prompting \u200ca military response from \u2063Israel. The Israeli government has a responsibility to protect its \u2062citizens and ensure their safety. It is\u2062 important to recognize the\u200d difference between self-defense \u200dand acts of terrorism.<\/p>\n<p>Universities play a crucial role in shaping \u200cthe minds of future leaders and intellectuals.\u200d It is essential \u200cthat they uphold principles\u200b of\u200b fairness, objectivity, and factual accuracy in their teachings and public statements. Supporting terrorist groups like Hamas undermines\u2062 these principles and perpetuates\u2063 a climate of hate and violence.<\/p>\n<p>The fact that student groups are aligning themselves with Hamas raises concerns about the\u200d prevalence of anti-Semitic sentiments on \u200bcampuses. Anti-Semitism has long been a problem in society, and universities\u2063 should take a strong \u200bstand against any form of discrimination\u200b or hate speech. It is important for\u2062 university administrators to address these issues promptly and ensure\u200d that all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/this-washington-high-school-is-instructing-teachers-to-avoid-saying-biologically-male\/\" title=\"This Washington High School Is Instructing Teachers To Avoid Saying \u2018Biologically Male\u2019\">students feel safe<\/a> and\u200c included\u2062 on campus.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, it is encouraging to see \u2064the dean of Columbia Law School, Gillian Lester, backpedaling on her initial statement and acknowledging the role of Hamas in the recent violence. It is crucial for universities and student groups to educate themselves about the complexities of \u2064the\u2063 Israeli-Palestinian conflict \u2064and avoid taking one-sided\u2063 positions\u200c that \u2062perpetuate hate and division. Only through open dialogue, mutual understanding,\u2064 and an objective \u2064evaluation \u200bof the facts can progress be made towards a\u200c peaceful\u200b resolution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Backpedaling occurs as student groups nationwide endorse Hamas. Columbia Law School&#8217;s dean, Gillian Lester, attempts to mitigate the situation after a restrained statement regarding the recent &#8220;Israel violence.&#8221; On Tuesday, Lester releases a new statement, attributing blame to Hamas. (55 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":184,"featured_media":2062282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2062281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2062281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/184"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2062281"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2062281\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2062282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2062281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2062281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2062281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}