Harvard to Host Speaker Who Called Oct. 7 Massacre 鈥淎 Normal Struggle 4 Freedom鈥�

Harvard University鈥檚 Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs will be hosting a professor who referred to the Oct. 7 massacre as 鈥渁 normal struggle 4 freedom.鈥�

The speaker, Arab American University Palestine Associate Professor Dr. Dalal Saeb Iriqat, posted on X that the attack “is just a normal struggle 4 #Freedom.” She defended her post on X, 鈥淲e will never forgive the Israeli right wing extreme government for making us take their children and elderly as hostages. The Israeli public need to realize that their own government had caused all this bloodshed and they remain the ones responsible for this escalation and losses of civilian lives.鈥� Iriqat is scheduled to speak on March 7 as part of a 鈥淢iddle East Dialogues鈥� seminar series hosted by Harvard Kennedy School of Government Professor Dr. Tarek Masoud.

The Kennedy School said听 鈥淭he purpose of the series is to provide a venue for debate and discussion, recognizing that different views will be offered and challenged 鈥� including views that many at the Kennedy School and beyond may disagree with vehemently and even find repugnant.”听

CUNY Cancels 鈥淕lobalize the Intifada鈥� Panel at Anti-Racism Conference

The City University of New York (CUNY) has canceled a 鈥淕lobalize the Intifada鈥� panel that was scheduled to take place at an anti-racism conference on Feb. 16.

The panel had been scheduled during the afternoon of the 鈥淓ngagement, Equity & Antiracism: Teaching Writing at our HSIs, Then & Now鈥� conference, Campus Reform reported. Lehman College Institute for Literacy Studies Director Jane Kehoe Higgins told Campus Reform that the conference aims 鈥渢o bring people together, not to cause harm or make students feel unsafe. It is not a podium for protest … There are appropriate venues for them to share their views, but this conference is not one of them.鈥�

The Lehman College Institute for Literacy Studies is co-hosting the conference, along with Hostos Community College Writing Across the Curriculum, New York City Writing Project and Lehman’s Writing Across the Curriculum program.听

Columbia Law Student Senate Rejects Student Group Aimed at Fighting Antisemitism

Columbia Law School鈥檚 Student Senate rejected Law Students Against Antisemitism鈥檚 (LSAA) request for recognition as a student group on campus.

The Columbia Spectator reported that out of nine student groups to apply for recognition this year, LSAA was the only one to be denied approval. Some students opposed recognition of the LSAA over their decision to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.听 LSAA President Marie-Alice Legrand, who is not 91传媒, told 91传媒 Insider (JI) that the student听 senate interrogated the club鈥檚 board them for more than an hour on if they 鈥渨ant to police our fellow students鈥� other groups got approved within five minutes.鈥� The senate voted 33-16 against recognizing LSAA, Senate President Justin Onwenu told JI, 鈥淚 am disappointed by the signal that this sends to many in our 91传媒 community. I am hoping that the club will resubmit and consensus can be reached because combating antisemitism is one of the most pressing issues of our time.鈥� LSAA plans to re-apply.

Cornell Student Assembly Votes Down BDS Resolution

Cornell University鈥檚 Student Assembly rebuffed a resolution urging the Board of Trustees to divest from companies that conduct business with Israel.

The Algemeiner reported that the resolution, which was voted down 16-4, accused the university of holding 鈥減ortfolio and direct investments in corporations that profit from Israel in corporations that profit from Israel鈥檚 military occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, thereby making Cornell complicit in human rights abuses and violations of international law.鈥�

Cornell Hillel said in a statement posted to Instagram, 鈥淲e thank all the students that organized. … Rather than 鈥榙ivestment,鈥� we are deeply committed to 鈥榠nvestment鈥� 鈥� investing in a positive campus climate, meaningful opportunities for education, and open dialogue towards a better future on campus and beyond.鈥�

Report: Rutgers Student Gov Gave SJP More Than $20,000

Campus Reform published a report on Jan. 29 documenting how the Rutgers University Student Assembly provided more than $20,000 to the university鈥檚 Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) for events during the current academic school year.

The SJP events that received funding from the Student Assembly included a 鈥淧alestinian History and Divestment鈥� panel and two events on 鈥減inkwashing,鈥� the allegation that Israel touts its record on LGTBQ+ rights to distract from its oppression of the Palestinians. The Student Assembly has allocated nearly $4,000 for the SJP chapter to hold 鈥淧alestinian History Day, Event and Teach-in鈥� event.