A member of a faculty panel at George Washington University last week made a point of saying that Hamas have a ‘right to resistance’ against Israel, according to a video that was taken of the virtual event.
The discussion, which occurred last Monday, December 4, was titled ‘Understanding the Conflict in Israel and Palestine,’ and was sponsored by the School of Medicine and Health Sciences’ Anti-Racism Coalition and the Institute for Middle East Studies.
Featured professor Michael Barnett, who teaches international affairs and political science, said during the panel that following the barbaric October 7 attacks on Israel, the country ‘rightly can claim self-defense, but I also want to note here that Hamas and the Palestinians also have a right of resistance.’
History and International Affairs associate professor Shira Robinson added: ‘All of us have been shaken by the events of October 7. But we all recognize that those events have a history.’
Panelists also referred to the Israeli military operation that followed October 7 as ‘ethnic cleansing’ and ‘genocide,’ while giving no air time to the acts of terror perpetrated by the radical Palestinian terror group.
According to the New York Post, panelists also failed to discuss the more than 100 Israeli hostages still being held by terrorists in Gaza.
Though some of the panelists agreed that Israel has a right to defend itself following the attack that killed more than 1,200 Israelis, several went on to say the IDF is part of a further reaching ‘colonial’ project to eventually eliminate the people of Gaza.
‘Israel launched an unprecedented carpet bombing campaign in the strip that for the past eight weeks, we now know, has deliberately targeted and continues to deliberately target high-rise residential buildings, bakeries, schools, universities, and UN shelters,’ Robinson said during the panel.
The Post reported that several faculty and students attempted to pose questions about how the panel was being presented, but were shut out.
Some said they were insulted in the chat section of the meeting.
Following the panel, Yolanda Haywood, GW’s dean of Diversity and Inclusion, apologized to the medical school community without specifically mentioning Jewish students or anti-Semitism.
‘The primary goal was to offer an experience that would result in thoughtful reflection and be a stimulus for broader, open communication. As the webinar proceeded, it became clear that this program was not a balanced presentation on this most divisive and difficult subject,’ she wrote in a statement.
One GW medical student told the Post they were ‘astonished how a medical school and its students, who dedicate their careers to preserving life, have been silent since Oct. 7.’
‘Being a medical student at GW now has made me feel alone and scared for the future of health care,’ they continued, adding: ‘Many of my peers who are passionate about women’s health do not care about the raping, mutilation, and desecration of women’s bodies when it is Jewish women.’
‘I am more empowered than ever to become a physician so that I can use my voice to stand up for Jewish patients, because clearly many of my classmates do not care to do the same.’
In a statement given to the outlet over the weekend, GW claimed that it has ‘repeatedly condemned Hamas and their horrific Oct, 7 terror attack on Israel.’
‘While faculty and students at GW have the right to freely express their own views, they do not speak on behalf of the University. Most issues, including this one, are the topic of a variety of events from different perspectives, and many events and discussions do not - and cannot be expected to - reflect all sides of every issue,’ the statement continued.
GWU, Barnett and Robinson did not immediately respond to the DailyMail.com’s requests for comment.
The Washington, DC-based university has the fourth highest number of Jewish students at any private American university, but still sees a relatively high number of anti-Semitic incidents occur on campus each year.
In the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attack, students at GW projected the shocking message ‘Glory to Our Martyrs’ on the side of the school’s library building.
The US Department of Education has also opened an investigation into a complaint against a psychology professor at the school who allegedly harassed Jewish students during a mandatory diversity training.
Professor Lara Sheehi allegedly attacked Jewish students for identifying terrorist attacks that had killed Israelis before attempting to silence the students as Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian while she brought in a speaker who condoned violence against Israelis.
The students also claimed that Sheehi and the school then retaliated against them for flagging the issue to administrators.
The school has stood by Sheehi since the incident early this year.
