Editorial: NYU needs to talk about Lebanon. Publicly.

On Feb. 24, 2022, former NYU president Andrew Hamilton condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In fact, he didn’t just condemn it — he called it an “unwarranted and unprovoked attack” and said that the loss of life had filled him with “dread and sorrow.” After the invasion escalated to an all-out war on Feb. 28, Hamilton sent a universitywide message noting the loss of civilian life and the hundreds of thousands of upended refugees. He even criticized Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying he had “rashly invoked” the threat of nuclear war. Hamilton said that though the conflict was taking place far away from the university’s campuses, “our hearts are with those suffering amidst all the senseless brutality,” and, as a university “defined by and proud of its global character, no event such as this” would go undiscussed. As of that day, the civilian death toll in Ukraine was more than 350.

On Monday, Sept. 23, Israel sent an array of missiles into southern Lebanon, killing more than 550 people. NYU did not condemn it. On Friday, Sept. 27, the Israeli military sent several airstrikes into Beirut flattening four buildings, killing at least two and injuring dozens. NYU did not condemn it. Over 1 million people have been displaced and more than 1,000 have been killed in Lebanon this past week alone, according to the country’s health ministry. NYU did not condemn it. On Sept. 25, international students from Lebanon received a private message from the university offering support for those whose families were affected by the escalating bombardment, calling the loss of life “heartbreaking.” And still, NYU did not condemn it. 

As journalists — even more so as students — we are imploring the university to, at the very least, recognize the assault on civilian life in southern Lebanon, and to do so publicly. 

NYU leadership is no stranger to providing its two cents on global conflicts, as seen with the Russia-Ukraine war. In the past, Hamilton also issued a public statement condemning the killing of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody in Iran, even going a step further and supporting students who took to the streets in protest of the Iranian government. Just last year, the NYU administration under President Linda Mills issued a plethora of statements condemning the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ attack on Israeli towns. However, the university wasn’t as inclined to speak out about Israel’s ongoing siege in the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, or support the subsequent wave of on-campus protests against the occupation. Alas, this editorial is not about why NYU should condemn Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The point is this: Precedent is in our favor. 

Students across New York colleges, including from our esteemed global institution, have joined thousands in citywide demonstrations in the last week condemning Israel’s brutal assault on Lebanon and the killing of hundreds of innocent civilians. NYU students also held a vigil in Washington Square Park for those who lost their lives in the escalating bombardment. Members of our community protest and mourn, and the university is seemingly nowhere to be found.

A private message sent to international students is thoughtful, but lacks the urgency and weight of a public statement. The university is no stranger to sending these types of emails, having done so for many developments in different parts of the world that could affect members of the NYU community, from the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in March to the recent Hurricane Helene.

What is unfolding in Lebanon deserves more than a quiet note of sympathy — it demands a public stance. For students with family and friends there, the silence is deafening. For an institution that prides itself on its global reach, the privatization of this message for something so globally catastrophic is confusing. If NYU chooses student solidarity, it must condemn these attacks publicly, and do so now.

WSN’s Opinion section strives to publish ideas worth discussing. Opinions expressed in the house editorial reflect the views of WSN’s Editorial Board.

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