The 1960s still has a lot to teach us about campus protests and the proper institutional role of universities. A good rule is that colleges and universities should hold their institutional fire for cases and causes that have a direct, significant impact on their core functions of teaching, research, and independent inquiry.
CAMBRIDGE – Although the war in Gaza has not ended, it has already had far-reaching effects on American universities. Following Hamas’s atrocious attacks on civilians, most campuses were initially sympathetic toward Israel. But as time passed and images from the war piled up, many young people began to protest what they saw as an excessive civilian death toll in Gaza. Campuses grew deeply divided as pro-Palestinian students demanded divestment from companies working with Israel, and as pro-Israel students argued that a hostile environment was threatening their safety and pursuit of an education.
