Harvard Affiliates, Politicians Slam University Leaders Over Late, ‘Word Salad’ Statement on War in Israel

By Miles J. Herszenhorn and Claire Yuan, Crimson Staff Writers
8 hours ago

Harvard leadership faced intense criticism over the weekend due to the University’s slow response to the deadly Hamas attack against Israel. But after the school released a statement Monday evening, leadership faced further backlash — this time, for failing to forcefully condemn the attacks and antisemitism.

In a statement signed by University President Claudine Gay and 17 other senior Harvard officials, administrators said they were “heartbroken by the death and destruction” caused by the surprise Hamas attack on Saturday and Israel’s retaliation against Gaza.

Students and faculty members — including former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers — called on University leaders to address the war that has already killed more than 900 people in Israel and at least 687 Palestinians. ... Before the University-wide email, Summers wrote in a Monday afternoon post on X that he was “sickened” by Harvard’s lack of public statement.

“The silence from Harvard’s leadership, so far, coupled with a vocal and widely reported student groups’ statement blaming Israel solely, has allowed Harvard to appear at best neutral towards acts of terror against the Jewish state of Israel,” he wrote. ... Summers’ post referred to a statement by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee in which the group called the government of Israel “entirely responsible” for the ongoing violence in the region.

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