There is a scandal at Stanford over the leadership's position on the war in Israel

So far, more than 1823 people have signed open letter to Stanford leadership criticizing the school for failing to clearly condemn Hamas attacks on Israel and recent acts of anti-Semitism on campus.

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Stanford students, alumni, faculty, staff and parents wrote an open letter to Interim President Richard Saller and Provost Jenny Martinez.

“As students, alumni, faculty and staff, we are proud to represent Stanford around the world as an inclusive institution that promotes community, excellence and leadership,” the letter said. “Your failure in this matter has shaken our faith in the moral resolve and ability of Stanford leadership to uphold these values ​​and guide its community through its darkest times.”

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Stanford is the latest elite university whose alumni have expressed dissatisfaction with the school's leadership amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. In an open letter published Oct. 25, MBA students, faculty and alumni say the school's administration has failed to support Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests following Hamas and Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip this month.

The alumni, writing to University President Richard Saller and Chancellor Jenny Martinez, said they were “gravely disappointed” and called for concrete steps to be taken to ensure the safety of Jewish students on campus.

“We are deeply disappointed by your response to the atrocities committed by Hamas in southern Israel—the mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust—and to the growing expressions of hatred and persecution on campus that have followed. "Your failure to clearly condemn the barbarity of Hamas and those who glorify it is a shocking abdication of your responsibility as leaders to draw a clear line between good and evil, define the boundaries of acceptable behavior, root out dangerous ignorance, and protect the Stanford community from escalating hatred and violence," it said. in a letter.

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“Mass rape, torture, abduction, beheading, dismemberment, murder and burning alive of civilians, including infants, the elderly and the disabled, are not the subject of political debate. There is no moral justification for such heinous actions, and it is shocking that these actions can be viewed in a rationalizing context. These crimes are even celebrated on campuses and cities across our country, including here at Stanford. It is alarming that over the past two weeks, Jews have been increasingly targeted across the country, students and alumni wrote in an open letter. “Any institution of thought leadership, let alone Stanford, has a responsibility to explicitly confront such moral corruption.”

Stanford's leadership has been criticized for "never explicitly condemning anti-Semitism" and "never explicitly mentioning support for Jewish and Israeli members of our community."

The letter states that “the October 7 massacre does not deserve intellectual debate or rationalization.”

The letter's signatories claim that Stanford students and groups "celebrated the actions of terrorists while anti-Jewish racism reached a fever pitch around the world."

Incidents on campus

The letter to university officials lists “disgusting incidents” of anti-Semitism and hate speech.

For example, a Stanford professor “shamed and humiliated Jewish freshmen by calling them ‘colonizers’ and forcing them to stand in the corner.”
In another case described in the letter, a faculty member at the Medical School "celebrated Hamas' actions with the statement 'the revolution is alive' and blamed the deaths of Israeli civilians on mistaken shootings by Israeli police."

The letter mentions slogans chanted by pro-Palestinian students: “From the river to the sea, Israel will be Arab,” “With blood and spirit we will liberate Palestine,” and others.

Signatories pointed out that numerous messages of hate and anti-Semitism were freely displayed on campus, including banners and chalk messages promoting hatred of Israel.

“These are not just political expressions, they are calls for the destruction of Israel just days after the deadliest event in the history of the only Jewish state,” the letter says.

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Many Jewish students fear being targeted and have removed visible signs of their religion and identity, such as Stars of David, the open letter said.

The signatories called on university officials to follow the example of colleagues at Caltech, Yale, the University of Florida, Florida State, Emory and Arizona State, which issued clear statements condemning Hamas.

They ask the management to take strict measures to ensure security on campus and give a decisive rebuff, including the expulsion and dismissal of those who support terrorists.

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