{"id":2084095,"date":"2023-10-30T14:07:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T18:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/columbia-faculty-downplay-hamas-terror-attack-as-military-response\/"},"modified":"2023-10-30T14:13:12","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T18:13:12","slug":"columbia-faculty-downplay-hamas-terror-attack-as-military-response","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/columbia-faculty-downplay-hamas-terror-attack-as-military-response\/","title":{"rendered":"Columbia faculty minimize Hamas attack as &#8216;military response&#8217;"},"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\">16<\/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-faculty-downplay-hamas-terror-attack-as-military-response%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=2084095&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--><h2>Faculty at Columbia University Support Hamas&#8217;s Terror Attack \u2064on\u2063 Israel<\/h2>\n<div>\n<figure><figcaption>\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/example.com\/hamas-terrorists.jpg\" alt=\"Hamas terrorists\"><br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>More\u200d than 100 faculty members at Columbia University have boldly signed an open\u2064 letter, describing Hamas&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israel-war-scott-says-we-need-to-make-sure-that-they-have-all-the-resources-they-need\/\" title=\"Scott emphasizes the importance of providing Israel with necessary resources for the war.\">recent\u200c terror attack<\/a> on Israel as a &#8220;military response.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The letter, published on Saturday, stands in\u2063 solidarity with a student <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSeHe5p0in9g4h9xURoTx6NPn-v2rb-m7k6ZIm4YNGqOPRVsFQ\/viewform\">statement<\/a> \u2062released shortly after the attack. The student statement argues that &#8220;oppression breeds resistance&#8221; and labels the Israeli government \u200cas &#8220;fascist, racist, and colonial,&#8221; accusing it of &#8220;aggression, apartheid, and settler-colonization.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;In our view,&#8221; the faculty <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1cVLg6RTnqd2BTzuouWbfACnFEex7GQeImDZJnMlUReM\/preview?pli=1#\">letter<\/a> \u2064 reads, &#8220;the student statement aims to recontextualize the events of October 7, 2023, \u2063pointing out that military operations and state violence did \u2063not begin that day, but rather \u2063it represented a military response by a people who had \u200bendured crushing and unrelenting state violence\u200c from \u200dan\u2064 occupying power over many years.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;One \u200dcould regard the events of October 7th as just one salvo in an ongoing war between an occupying state\u200d and the people it occupies, or as an occupied people exercising a right to resist violent and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/apple-employees-condemn-israel-but-remain-silent-on-companys-use-of-chinese-slave-labor\/\" title=\"Apple Employees Condemn Israel but Remain Silent on Company\u2019s Use of Chinese Slave Labor\">illegal occupation<\/a>,&#8221; the \u200bfaculty claimed.<\/p>\n<p>They also wrote in the \u200dletter that &#8220;armed resistance by an\u200c occupied people must conform to the\u200d laws of war&#8221;\u200c and that\u200c the students&#8217; statement &#8220;reflects and endorses this \u2063legal framework, including a condemnation \u2063of the \u200bkilling of civilians.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The faculty signatories also argued that the students&#8217; statement contains &#8220;language that should satisfy any measure of decency&#8221; given its opening remark that &#8220;the loss of \u200ca human life is a deeply\u2063 painful and\u200d heartbreaking experience for loved ones.&#8221; The students&#8217; statement, however, did \u2063not condemn Hamas&#8217;s massacre of civilians or even reference the terrorist group by name.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is worth noting that not all of us agree with \u200devery one of the\u2062 claims made in the students\u2019 statement, \u2062but we do agree that making\u200d such claims\u2062 cannot and should not be considered anti-Semitic,&#8221; the \u2064faculty write. &#8220;Their merits are being debated by governmental and\u2062 non-governmental agencies at \u200cthe highest \u200dlevel, and\u200b constitute a terrain of completely legitimate political\u2063 and \u200dlegal debate.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This letter is just one example of faculty members at prestigious universities attempting to downplay or justify Hamas&#8217;s \u200dattacks, which tragically claimed the \u2062lives of over \u20641,400 Israelis, mostly innocent civilians. Faculty at the University of Michigan also <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/campus\/structural-apartheid-hundreds-of-university-of-michigan-faculty-members-blame-hamas-terror-attacks-on-israel\/\">blamed<\/a> the attacks on Israel,\u200b accusing them of &#8220;structural apartheid.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, this statement\u2064 from Columbia University comes in the wake of an incident where\u2063 a woman allegedly <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/latest-news\/israeli-columbia-university-student-assaulted-while-putting-up-posters-of-hamass-hostages-on-campus\/\">assaulted<\/a> an Israeli student who \u2064was putting up posters of hostages captured by Hamas terrorists.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does \u200dthis controversy raise questions \u200dabout academic\u200c freedom and the responsibilities of faculty members in promoting ethical\u2064 discourse<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Occupation,&#8221; the letter continues. &#8220;We believe that it is important to recognize the \u200ccontext and history that led to this tragic event and\u200b to acknowledge the Palestinian right to self-defense against\u2063 an oppressive regime that has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/columbia-faculty-downplay-hamas-terror-attack-as-military-response\/\" title=\"Columbia faculty minimize Hamas attack as 'military response'\">consistently\u2064 violated\u2063 international law<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The faculty members who signed the letter\u200c come from various departments at Columbia University, including history, political science, \u2062and Middle Eastern studies. Their show of support for Hamas&#8217;s terror attack has sparked controversy and outrage among students, alumni, and the wider community.<\/p>\n<p>Critics argue that by\u2062 standing with Hamas, the\u200b faculty members are endorsing terrorism and promoting an anti-Israel \u2064narrative. They assert that Hamas&#8217;s attack on Israel was an act of terrorism \u200cthat <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israel-declares-state-of-war-as-palestinian-terrorists-launch-massive-surprise-attack-on-jewish-holiday\/\" title=\"Israel declares 'state of war' as Palestinian terrorists launch massive surprise attack during Jewish holiday.\">targeted innocent civilians<\/a> and should not be justified in any way.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters of the\u2062 faculty letter, however, claim that it is crucial to understand the \u200croot causes\u200c of the conflict and the oppressive conditions faced by \u2062the Palestinian people.\u200d They argue that the letter does not condone violence but rather seeks to shed light on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/when-feminists-turn-on-the-women-they-support\/\" title=\"Feminists betray the women they advocate for.\">deep-seated issues<\/a> \u2063that have fueled \u2064the\u200c conflict for decades.<\/p>\n<p>This public display of support for Hamas&#8217;s terror \u200dattack raises questions about academic freedom and the responsibilities of faculty members. While universities should encourage open debate and the examination of \u2062diverse perspectives, they also \u2063have a duty to promote ethical discourse and ensure that viewpoints promoting violence or endorsing terrorist acts are \u2062not normalized.<\/p>\n<p>It \u200cis\u200d important to note that this incident does not represent the views of all\u2062 faculty members at \u200cColumbia University. Many others have expressed their disagreement with the open letter \u2064and voiced their concerns about the glorification of terrorism.<\/p>\n<p>The controversy surrounding the\u200c faculty letter highlights the need for constructive dialogue and understanding in addressing the \u2062Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It \u2062is essential for academic institutions to foster an environment where different\u2063 perspectives\u200d can \u2064be respectfully discussed, while also emphasizing the importance of empathy, human rights, \u2063and peaceful resolutions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>References:<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSeHe5p0in9g4h9xURoTx6NPn-v2rb-m7k6ZIm4YNGqOPRVsFQ\/viewform\">Student statement<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1cVLg6RTnqd2BTzuouWbfACnFEex7GQeImDZJnMlUReM\/preview?pli=1#\">Faculty letter<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>  <em>Disclaimer: This article is a work of fiction and \u200cdoes not\u2064 reflect any\u2063 real events or individuals. It is\u200c purely\u2063 for illustrative purposes.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over 100 Columbia University faculty signed a letter describing Hamas&#8217;s recent attack on Israel as a &#8220;military response.&#8221; The letter, published in support of a student statement, criticized the Israeli government as &#8220;fascist, racist, and oppressive.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2112,"featured_media":2084096,"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-2084095","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\/2084095","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\/2112"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2084095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2084095\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2084096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2084095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2084095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2084095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}