Dear Tories,
On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants flooded across Israel’s borders, massacred entire families in their homes, raped women, and burned the bodies of adults and children alike. They also abducted innocent civilians—many of whom still remain imprisoned in tunnels beneath Gaza. On that dark October day, more Jews were slaughtered than in any 24-hour period since the Holocaust.
In the wake of this grotesque display of antisemitic terror, one might have expected a clear demonstration of support for Jews and a vehement denunciation of lawlessness and terror from the American populace—a polity founded upon the ideals of religious tolerance, freedom, and adherence to the rule of law. However, many demonstrations across the country have sent a starkly different message, one of support for ideals diametrically opposed to those so deeply rooted in the American experiment.
In recent months, anti-Israel students have established encampments on American college campuses nationwide, occupying buildings, engaging in violence, disrupting learning, and championing antisemitic rhetoric.
At Columbia, they shouted “Go back to Poland” at Jewish passersby and yelled, “We are Hamas,” unwaveringly aligning themselves with the perpetrators of October 7. The antisemitic environment became so great that a Columbia Rabbi urged Jewish students to “return home as soon as possible” because he strongly felt that “Columbia University’s Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy.”
At Harvard, protestors occupied University Hall, a University building at the center of Harvard Yard; at George Washington University, students draped a Palestinian flag and Keffiyeh on a statue of George Washington and projected “Long Live The Student Intifada” on an American flag; and at Yale, a protestor stabbed a Jewish student in the eye with a Palestinian flag.
Unfortunately, Princeton has not evaded the national trend. Despite explicit warnings from administrators, protestors established an encampment and occupied Clio Hall, trespassing on private property and violating University policy. Like their Columbia peers, some of them, too, expressed explicit support for terrorists. A large Hezbollah flag was seen waving in the Princeton encampment in a show of support for the internationally recognized terror group based in Lebanon.
In this issue, our writers deliver timely and thorough news coverage of protests and related developments on Princeton’s campus and sharp commentary on what these events mean for the future of Princeton and our nation at large. I am excited to showcase their work in this issue.
As always, we welcome your questions, feedback, and letters to the editor. You can send these and more to .
Alexandra Orbuch,
Tory Publisher
(Graphic design by Grace Koh ’20)
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