Campus Reacts and Responds to Israel-Hamas War
Israel-Hamas War: Campus Reacts and Responds
Israel-Hamas War: Campus Reacts and Responds
First, there was outrage, anger, and sadness. “We are appalled by and condemn the attack by Hamas on the State of Israel and especially the intentional and large-scale targeting of noncombatants,” Kenneth Freeman, BU president ad interim, said in a statement to the BU community following the savage October 7, 2023, attack by the Palestinian militant group. Then there were campus vigils, rallies, walkouts, die-ins, and fundraisers. Students spoke out, in solidarity with Israelis or with Palestinians, condemning the loss of innocent lives. They were angry—at each other, at the University. Graffiti became commonplace on campus. A vandal scrawled “Free Palestine” on an exterior window at BU Hillel, prompting an investigation of a possible hate crime by BU police and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. Muslim students faced verbal assaults. Some criticized the University for inaction. They felt unsafe, unsupported, unseen.
“This hateful act struck at the heart of my community, defacing a place of worship and peace,” Amanda Kopelman (ENG’25) wrote in an opinion piece on BU Today. “As a Jewish student, I do not feel safe at Boston University.” In another essay published the same day, Adam Shamsi (CAS’24) and Faisal Ahmed (CAS’24) wrote, “BU is capable of swiftly mobilizing resources and putting out statements when it comes to acts that are perceived as anti-Israel. However, despite ongoing harassment against pro-Palestinian students, Boston University has failed to act just as swiftly in condemning those acts.”
In January, Freeman announced initiatives underway to “ensure a safe and secure campus,” including the creation of two working groups, one for the Jewish/Israeli community, one for the Muslim/Arab community, that will both report directly to him.
Here, in photos, is a glimpse of how the tensions unfolded at BU last fall.
October 11
Hundreds gathered on Marsh Plaza for a candlelight vigil in solidarity with Israel, organized by BU Hillel and BU Students for Israel. Among the speakers was Yonatan Manor (COM’25), BU Students for Israel president (facing the crowd):
“We are here today to remember and mourn the beautiful souls lost during the darkest time in Israel’s modern history.”
Photo by Jacob Chang-Rascle (COM’22)
October 18
BU Students for Justice in Palestine held a solidarity vigil on BU Beach, inviting those of all faiths and drawing about 200 people. The group wanted to create a space for mourning, prayer, and remembrance for the Palestinians who have lost their lives.
Photo by Cydney Scott
October 23
Students joined a national walkout, rallying on the George Sherman Union plaza and calling for an end to Israel’s siege of
Gaza and an immediate end to US military funding and arms to Israel.
“We have the power and the duty to force our institutions to end support for Israeli occupation,” BU Students for Justice in Palestine said in their social media post promoting the walkout.
Photo by Jackie Ricciardi
November 8
The Boston University Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said they were investigating a possible hate crime on campus, after someone wrote “Free Palestine” on a window of BU Hillel. A spokesperson for the DA’s office said the vandalism may rise to the level of a hate crime because the Florence & Chafetz Hillel House is a place of worship that holds regular religious services, as well as a community center and a building associated with an educational facility.
Photo by Cydney Scott
November 9
Students gathered at the Tsai Performance Center for the worldwide Shut It Down for Palestine protest, called by pro-Palestinian groups, urging people around the world to demand a cease-fire and an end to US support for Israel. The silent sit-in was to honor the thousands who have died in Gaza. An estimated 250 people were part of the protest at BU.
Photo by Jacob Chang-Rascle (COM’22)
November 16
About 50 demonstrators blocked traffic on the BU Bridge, calling for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. Pictures and videos posted on social media by the Boston chapter of the organization IfNotNow showed demonstrators in shirts that said, “Not in our name.” They also held up signs reading, “Jews Say: Ceasefire Now,” “Let Gaza Live,” and “Free the Hostages.”
Photo by Joel Brown
December 1
BU Students for Israel, supported by BU Hillel, held an event on Marsh Plaza called Bring Them Home Now! They asked the BU community to show solidarity with Israel and demand that all remaining hostages be returned home from Gaza. The 137 chairs, each with a photo, or more than one photo, of a hostage attached, represented those being held captive. The circle of chairs represented the hostages released so far. The same day, BU Students for Justice in Palestine held an Emergency Die-In in the GSU Link.
Photo by Cydney Scott
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