Harvard University students stand firm in solidarity with Palestine despite pressures

Cambridge, Massachusetts (Quds News Network) – Despite pressures from pro-Israel groups in the United States, a number of students at Harvard University declare that they will continue their protests in support of Palestine and criticism of the ongoing Israeli war of genocide on the Gaza Strip.

Returning students from winter break believe that tensions at the university have not subsided, even after the resignation of its president, Claudine Gay, due to pressures following her view that protests against Israel fall within the scope of freedom of expression.

Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli army has been waging a destructive war on Gaza, resulting in 24,448 people killed and 61,504 injured, causing displacement of around 1.9 million people, over 85% of the population, according to Palestinian authorities and the United Nations.

Protests have erupted worldwide during this period, calling for an end to the Israeli war on Gaza, emboldened by the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden. The U.S. has vetoed two resolutions in the United Nations Security Council against the war.

Guillermo Silva, a student in the Department of Politics and Philosophy at Harvard, and a member of the Student Solidarity Committee with Palestine, told Anadolu Agency: “Unfortunately, these days we make more headlines than what is happening in Gaza.”

Silva, who is also active in student politics, emphasized that pro-Palestinian activity on campus has become very clear since October 7. He pointed out that the current situation on campus is marked by fear and caution for many pro-Palestinian activists, as uncertainty about the future prevails.

“We know that the university president, Gay, was forced to resign, and she faced significant criticism for not preventing student organizations from organizing pro-Palestinian protests,” Silva said. He explained that the university was on winter break when Gay resigned, and students were unable to show the necessary reaction.

“We expect a lot of activity when students return to campus because we will not stop talking about Palestine and Gaza just because we face strong opposition,” Silva said. He noted that the new university president is an internal figure, and students have no reason to believe that he will be more hostile to students.

However, Silva added, “But we know that Harvard University is facing more pressures, and the forces [unnamed] that exert them will not stop.”

Without going into details, Silva confirmed that Harvard University has investments linked to illegal settlers in Palestine. He considered this terrible and believed that the university is not in a good position to support Palestinian students and sympathize with those who have lost family members, stating that right-wing extremists in the country use these events to attack Harvard.

“It is not natural for Congress to waste its time summoning a university president and trying to destroy her professional life just because she did not silence her students. We see attempts to discredit us and destroy our professional future clearly,” Silva said.

He expressed his belief that Republicans in Congress will not stop targeting university students, and the pressure will continue to increase, emphasizing the students’ determination not to back down from advocating for peace.

Silva pointed out that events against Palestinians at the university are mainly organized by external groups.

On the positive side, Silva noted that students have never called for encouraging violence against Israel but have tried to show only the suffering of Palestinians.

“I think the reason they attack us with such force is the fear of changing public opinion because public opinion is changing in favor of Palestine, not only in the United States but also internationally,” Silva said.

He added, “There is a growing reaction against Israel’s policy, and this will continue even if they target university students like me, putting us on blacklists, and targeting us forcefully. People will know what is happening in Gaza.”

Silva emphasized the large resources spent by pro-Israel groups on attacking students at Harvard and spreading false accusations against them, affirming that students will not give in despite these attacks.

“Despite all these attacks and all the false descriptions they give us, such as sympathizers with terrorism or anti-Semites, we will continue to show the truth,” Silva concluded.

He clarified that the Student Solidarity Committee with Palestine is a group of Harvard students interested in Palestine, international law, and preventing civilian suffering, and it is a mistake to think that targeting them forcefully will deter them from caring about these issues.