Ex-Harvard president Larry Summers 'sickened' by students' 'morally unconscionable statement' on war in Israel

Former Harvard president Larry Summers said Monday he has never been as "disillusioned and alienated" toward the institution as he is now after student organizations purported that Israel is "entirely responsible" for the country's war against Hamas terrorists.

Summers, who was a Harvard professor before serving as university president from 2001 to 2006, posted a thread on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday saying he is "sickened" by the student groups' statement and "cannot fathom" the Harvard administration's "failure to disassociate the University and condemn this statement."

Roughly 1,600 people have been killed in the violence thus far after Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel on Saturday that led to retaliatory strikes from Israeli forces. Thousands more were wounded, and many others were taken hostage by Hamas and raped and tortured.

Following the attack, Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups released a statement signed by 27 organizations that said, "We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence." The groups that signed onto the statement included the Harvard Islamic Society, the Harvard Jews for Liberation, the Society of Arab Students and the Harvard Divinity School Muslim Association.

HARVARD STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS CLAIM ISRAEL ‘ENTIRELY RESPONSIBLE’ FOR GAZA ATTACKS

"Today’s events did not occur in a vacuum," the statement continued. "For the last two decades, millions of Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to live in an open-air prison. Israeli officials promise to ‘open the gates of hell,’ and the massacres in Gaza have already commenced. Palestinians in Gaza have no shelters for refuge and nowhere to escape. In the coming days, Palestinians will be forced to bear the full brunt of Israel’s violence."

Summers, who also previously served as U.S. treasury secretary under former President Bill Clinton and economic advisor to President Obama, strongly condemned the statement from the student groups for appearing to shift blame for the war away from Hamas terrorists.

"In nearly 50 years of @Harvard affiliation, I have never been as disillusioned and alienated as I am today," Summers wrote. "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(sic) acts of terror against the Jewish state of Israel."

The economist then cited then-Harvard President Lawrence Bacow's statement from February 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Summers praised Bacow's "strong statement" of support for Ukraine in which the institution's leader condemned the "deplorable actions" of Russian President Vladimir Putin and flew Ukraine's flag over Harvard Yard.

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Summers also expressed appreciation for then-Harvard Dean Claudine Gay, who currently serves as the institution's president, for her "powerful statement on police violence" in May 2020 after the death of George Floyd.

But, Summers emphasized, there is still "no official Harvard statement at this time of moral testing."

"Instead, Harvard is being defined by the morally unconscionable statement apparently coming from two dozen student groups blaming all the violence on Israel. I am sickened," Summers wrote. "I cannot fathom the Administration’s failure to disassociate the University and condemn this statement."

"I very much hope appropriate statements from the University and College condemning those who launched terrorist attacks and standing in solidarity with its victims will soon be forthcoming," he continued. "To be clear nothing is wrong with criticizing Israeli policy past, present or future. I have been sharply critical of PM Netanyahu. But that is very different from lack of clarity regarding terrorism."

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As of Tuesday morning, Harvard has not publicly condemned the student groups' views, but the university did address the impact of the conflict on its community in the following statement:

"We write to you today heartbroken by the death and destruction unleashed by the attack by Hamas that targeted citizens in Israel this weekend, and by the war in Israel and Gaza now under way.

"The violence hits all too close to home for many at Harvard. Some members of our community have lost family members and friends; some have been unable to reach loved ones. And, even for people at Harvard who have not been affected directly by the fighting, there are feelings of fear, sadness, anger, and more that create a heavy burden. We have heard from many students, faculty, and staff about the emotional toll that these events are taking.

"Across Harvard, we will continue providing as much support to our students and colleagues as possible. Our Schools either have shared or will soon share messages regarding available resources.

"We have also heard an interest from many in understanding more clearly what has been happening in Israel and Gaza. Even as we attend immediately to the needs of our community members, we can take steps as an academic community to deepen our knowledge of the unfolding events and their broader implications for the region and the world. We expect there will be many such opportunities in the coming days and weeks.

"We have no illusion that Harvard alone can readily bridge the widely different views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but we are hopeful that, as a community devoted to learning, we can take steps that will draw on our common humanity and shared values in order to modulate rather than amplify the deep-seated divisions and animosities so distressingly evident in the wider world. Especially at such a time, we want to emphasize our commitment to fostering an environment of dialogue and empathy, appealing to one another’s thoughtfulness and goodwill in a time of unimaginable loss and sorrow.

"As many colleagues, classmates, and friends deal with pain and deep concern about the events in Israel and Gaza, we must all remember that we are one Harvard community, drawn together by a shared passion for learning, discovery, and the pursuit of truth in all its complexity, and held together by a commitment to mutual respect and support. At this moment of challenge, let us embody the care and compassion the world needs now."