A researcher at the esteemed Cornell University in the United States was caught on tape expressing enthusiasm for the terrorist attack carried out by Hamas in the Gaza Strip during a rally held on the campus.
Professor Russell Rickford, a history lecturer specializing in "black radical traditions in the United States," made controversial remarks about the attack. He stated, "What did Hamas do? Hamas shattered the illusion of Israel's invincibility. It disrupted the monopoly on violence and shifted the balance of power. You don't need to support Hamas to acknowledge this fact. They altered the terms of the debate. Nothing will ever be the same again."
A Cornell University historian, with a PhD. from Columbia University, who is also the son of a Stanford linguistics professor, tells students that anyone who doesn't find the massacre of Jewish women and children "exhilarating" and "energizing" is not "human." https://t.co/wuUxF5pl1I
ā Mark Horowitz (@MarkHorowitz) October 17, 2023
Furthermore, Professor Rickford expressed, "In these initial hours of the attack, there are many well-wishers, including Palestinians of conscience, like me and like you, who detest violence and civilian casualties. They feel a sense of relief. For the first time in years, they can breathe freely. It was an exhilarating moment! It was filled with energy! You would have to lack humanity not to be moved by this transformation in the balance of power."
After the exposure of the lecturer's statements, he issued a brief clarification in which he reiterated his viewpoint. He stated, "I was referring to those initial hours of breaking down the apartheid wall, which appears to symbolize resistance and a new phase in the Palestinian people's struggle."
The university's president, Martha Pollack, responded to these remarks, saying, "The brutal attacks resulted in the loss of innocent lives, causing immeasurable pain and challenging our fundamental understanding of humanity. Deliberately targeting and killing innocent civilians epitomizes terrorism." However, she did not address whether any action would be taken against the lecturer.
If this wasn't taken out of context, then @cornell just had an event in which the mass-murder of children was actively encouraged as an instrument of political change. https://t.co/AIfZ9ialXS
ā Haviv Rettig Gur (@havivrettiggur) October 16, 2023
Meanwhile, as the 11th day of the conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah unfolds, U.S. President Joe Biden announced his upcoming visit to Israel. Secretary of State Lincoln, who is currently in Israel, participated in the Israeli War Cabinet meeting and later met with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Following the meeting, he announced Biden's planned visit. President Biden himself tweeted that he will visit Israel tomorrow for a "sympathy visit" before continuing on to Jordan, where he will meet with the King of Jordan and the President of Egypt.
Regarding the humanitarian issue, the IDF spokesman says that "the position of the Israeli government is that Gaza is closed and the crossings are closed. We implement the government's policy, if it changes we will act accordingly. We are witnessing Hamas' attempts to steal fuel and obtain food."
