Expressing deep concern over the discourse emanating from academia following the devastating Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.

A diverse group of international students have banded together to use their networks and platforms to share the verified truth of Israel’s October 7 terror attack.

Following the horrific October 7, 2023 terror attack by Hamas and the disturbing proliferation of fake news across digital platforms, a group of about 30 international students at Tel Aviv University (TAU) have formed a task force to tell the verified story of what they’re seeing and hearing in Israel right now.

“We’re a group of very diverse students with different backgrounds, different religious backgrounds, nationalities and we are coming even with different political views,” says Maria Ellal, one of the founders of the task force and a student from Malta currently enrolled in the International MA in Security and Diplomacy program. “We are just trying to get the message out of what we are seeing on the ground.”

The task force has launched Instagram, TikTok, X and Facebook accounts, and through them members are sharing the stories of victims and survivors of the terror attack. Every post made has been fact checked through multiple sources. The task force is also creating a content database as they analyze the online content disseminated since the attack on October 7, and members are using their international networks to raise awareness.

“The task force is disseminating truthful information and fact-based information, because in war the first thing that dies is truth,” says Ari Spielman, another founder of the task force, who is an American student in the International MA in Environmental Studies program. “We are verifying survivor accounts and uploading stories so that in the future … this can’t be something where it’s said it didn’t happen – because Holocaust denial, genocide denial … this is something that happens even in a day and age when we have verified, photo information.”

Additionally, members of the task force wrote an open letter that commits to “using our knowledge and international perspective to raise the awareness of societies worldwide,” which has been signed by approximately 150 TAU international students, from various countries such as: Malta, USA, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, France, Hong Kong and Poland.

“We are always proud of our international student community at TAU, but, given these terrible times, we’re admittedly especially proud right now” says Maureen Adiri Meyer, the director of TAU’s The Lowy International School. “We and the wider TAU community are trying to support this and all other student-led initiatives right now, however we can.”

See the task force’s linktree for more information.

Members of TAU’s international community join the Israeli-wide effort to help farmers in the south.

In the aftermath of the devastating October terrorist attacks near the Gaza Strip, Israeli agricultural settlements face severe challenges, including the loss of loved ones and a shortage of foreign laborers. Farmers struggle to tend to their crops, resulting in fruit and vegetables left to rot in the fields. In response, Tel Aviv University (TAU) has joined the nationwide initiative to support these farmers by organizing volunteer groups to assist with the workload.   The initiative was started by Dr Anat Gafni and Prof. Ram Fishman who both teach on the international master’s program in Sustainable Development at TAU. Dr. Gafni brought the idea to her international students, and first-year students from Honduras, China, and Russia enthusiastically volunteered. Anat  was joined in her efforts by Prof. Hadas Mamane, the head of the Environmental Engineering program at the TAU Faculty of Engineering and of the Water-Tech Laboratory, whose second-year students also stepped forward to help. Last week the group went to Mivtahim, one of the settlements close to the Gaza Strip, where they dedicated an entire day to taking care of plants.   Dr. Gafni (right) at the farm Dr. Gafni explains: “We left at 7 a.m. from the university and didn’t come back until 6 p.m. It was a whole day of hard work, but it was very rewarding because the family of the farmer lost one person who was killed in the attack, and they were happy to see us.” This week, several students will also work on one of the farms.

“Us coming there is important not only to keep the kibbutzim going but also to warm the hearts of people there when they see that we help them and talk with them,” — Dr. Gafni.

  “I felt it would be great to take part in some field activities, not only to relieve myself of the stress but also to help others who are in a more serious situation,” comments Yixin Wang, one of the student volunteers. Jose Cristobal Padilla Arias (in the middle) with other international student volunteers Jose Cristobal Padilla Arias, another student volunteer, shares his impressions: “Before I came to Israel, I knew from my friends about volunteering in general. As for this particular initiative, I heard about it on the WhatsApp group we have for our program. When we got to the farm, the owner put us into groups and explained what to do. I worked in a zucchini greenhouse, putting in trellises to support the plants and help them guide themselves up. It was a very nice experience because I got to meet many new people. It also made me realize how important the sense of community is– with people working together for a common cause. It’s a good way to acknowledge the hard work that agriculture involves, which makes you value it more. After all, agriculture is one of the fundamental elements of an economy– it provides us with food.”

“I would definitely do it again. It’s hard, but the feeling of helping others is great. I want to give my support as much as I can, being an international student.” — Jose Cristobal Padilla Arias

 

The money will help ease initial financial burdens.

Tel Aviv University announced that every student now serving as a reserve soldier in Operation Iron Swords will immediately receive a grant of NIS 1,000 ($250) from the University. An estimated 5,239 TAU students have been called up since war broke out on Oct. 7. All of them will receive the grant within the next few days as a mark of TAU’s appreciation for their service and to help ease their burden when they return to studies. TAU intends, moreover, to make substantial additional grants, especially for those serving in combat or combat-support units. TAU will also provide additional aid to students on reserve duty or those from the north and south of Israel who are now facing immediate financial problems.

Right at the beginning of the war, TAU established an Emergency Fund to relieve the economic burden of students, faculty members, and their families, and to assist evacuees and the wider community. The Fund is being supported generously by TAU donors from around the world, led by the Blavatnik Family Foundation.

As part of the Emergency Fund’s aid, TAU announced that students residing in the dormitories who were called up to reserve duty are exempt from rent payments for the months of October and November. TAU will also give out hundreds of scholarships to help with the rent payments of dorm residents who have not been called up, based on socioeconomic considerations.

TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat: “TAU is obligated to help its students who are personally impacted by the hardships of war. Naturally, first in line are students now on reserve duty, as well as students from the south and north of Israel who are encountering immediate financial difficulties. We are starting with a modest grant and intend to increase it later on. Beyond financial assistance, we will also offer academic support once the academic year begins. Our reserve soldiers and students affected by the war will not be left behind!”

“What is happening in Israel right now is a threat to all humans everywhere, and therefore all should unite against it.”

We are a group of international students at Tel Aviv University coming from all corners of the globe. We have different backgrounds, a spectrum of study interests, diverse political views, races, and religions. However, we have united to share the truth about what we are seeing and experiencing here in Israel. On the 7th of October, 2023, we were woken up not by the rays of a beautiful morning sun but by the sound of the sirens. We were shocked and unprepared, and especially unprepared for what the day was about to bring. With every passing hour, it became more and more clear that we woke up to war, to a new reality where Israel was attacked by the terrorist group Hamas. It is hard to believe how many horrific things happened during the past week. From the Tel-Aviv area, we began to hear news from the south of the country about the terrorists massacring young people in a peace festival, about killing, raping, and kidnapping innocent people, about massive bombings leading to the complete destruction of various villages and the death of hundreds of citizens. Not to mention the barbaric acts of beheading kids or recording the torturing of hostages. We believe that the world needs to see and recognize that these are nothing other than acts of terrorism. We are writing these words on a day when Israeli soldiers are still sacrificing their lives to defend their brothers and sisters, innocent people are kept hostage, and we grow anxious every time we hear the siren. In the meantime, we hear sounds even more concerning than those coming from the battle, voices of people who justify the attacks, support the terror, and remain blind to the fact that this is more than just “a regular conflict in the Middle East.” Hearing that, we decided that we can not remain silent. We decided to use our knowledge and international perspective to raise the awareness of societies worldwide. This time, it is not about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. What is happening in Israel right now is a threat to all humans everywhere, and therefore all should unite against it. We stand with humanity. We believe this is not a war of Israelis against Palestinians or Jews against Arabs. This is a war of humanity against terrorism, of good versus evil.   Signed,  

Ina Memaj, Albania	Suzana Abuleac Steinberg, Brazil	Zhiyi Cui, China
Demian Aisicovich, Argentina	Avery Deveto, Canada	Santiago Sarmiento, Colombia
Maia Bornsztein, Argentina	Ben Bright, Canada	Alisa Gumerova, Czech Republic
Pablo Rodriguez Osztreicher, Argentina	Melissa Greenspan, Canada	Tereza Becková, Czech Republic
Loren Kertsman, Austria	Rebekah Petchatnikov, Canada	Alexandra Ruf, Ecuador
Elvin Khasiyev, Azerbaijan	Ximena Silberman, Chile	Ambre Demeure, France
Rafael Nabizade, Azerbaijan	Ping’an Li, China	Anaïs Herbillon, France
Carole Hitter, Belgium, Israel	Wei Zeng, China	David Nataf, France
Giovanna Melo, Brazil	Zhi Li, China	Nina Wexler, France
Denise Chisom Jaeschke, Germany	Gina Krymalowski, Germany	Janina Rebhan, Germany
Freya Prein, Germany	Janka Hoefer, Germany	Maria Heusch, Germany
Marian Blok, Germany	Philipp Hofmann, Germany	Stefanie Schulz, Germany, United States
Evangelia Akritidou, Greece	Michail Kitsos, Greece, United States	Annamária Balogh, Hungary
Edvin Gobanyi, Hungary	Alon Shepon, Israel	Elie Francois, Israel
Erica Katzin, Israel	Olga Mondrus, Israel	Rodney John, Israel
Anamika Kumari, India	Anway Pradhan, India	Chaitanya Patel, India
Deepan Chowdhury, India	Dhiraj Udapure, India	Lakshminarasaiah Uppalapati, India
Mahekdeep Kaur, India	Meera Cheviri, India	Mrinal Kashyap, India
Poulami Chakraborty, India	Prakash Varkey Cherian, India	Pritee Subhadarshini, India
Pushpendra Mani, India	Sagnik Biswas, India	Shiven Nath, India
Sreyashi Bhowmick, India	Iori Saze, Japan	Daniel Ganda, Kenya
Emmanuel Opondo, Kenya	Purity Mumbi Muchoki, Kenya	Alex Mulbah, Liberia
Ieva Vebraite Adereth, Lithuania	Maria Ellul, Malta	Andrea Garza Díaz Barriga, Mexico
Mijal Bercovich, Mexico	Paola Perez Gallardo Garibay, Mexico	Markus McCraith, New Zealand
Veronica Igube, Nigeria	Zofia Sznajder, Poland	Catia Carvalho, Portugal
Reis, Portugal	Razvan Mocanu	Anastasia Mikunis, Russia
Evgenia Kurmashova, Russia	Evgeniy Rodnyanskiy, Russia, Israel	Denis Dmitriev, Russia
Dmitrii Sukhanov, Russia	Dolgor Baldorzhieva, Russia	Taisiya Ilizarova, Russia
Eugene L., Singapore	Adam Angel, South Africa	Tyla Shur, South Africa
Minji Jin, South Korea	Pin Ying Huang, Taiwan	Alexander Viches, Ukraine
Mykhailo Rozhkov, Ukraine	Tanya Albrecht, Ukraine	Valeriia Svirska, Ukraine
Margherita Calice, United Kingdom	Alex Blecker, United States	Annika Hauser, United States
Ari Spielman, United States	Batya Goldberg, United States	Benny Rushfield, United States
David Guttman, United States	Ella Nudell, United States	Elisha Heching, United States
Elisheva Ely, United States	Eva Fabian, United States, Israel	Gabriella Jacobs, United States
Kat Lacey, United States	Kayla Goldberger, United States	Larry French, United States
Jordyn Engel, United States	Joshua Levin, United States	Rachel Thau, United States
Rachel Thau, United States	Rina Poran, United States	Samantha Trenk, United States
Sander Ashman, United States	Sarah Carr, United States	Shoshana Markowitz, United States
Sophie Humphers, United States	Tamar Ford, United States	Yael Shmilovitz, United States
Yaron Ginsberg, United States, Israel	Zev Huneycutt, United States	Luis Hamel, Venezuela

Prof. Yftach Gepner overcomes a shootout with terrorists to rush his injured brother to the hospital.

On the morning of October 7, Tel Aviv University Prof. Yftach Gepner, Faculty of Medicine, received a call from his brother, Elad, to come help defend their moshav. Little did he know Elad would be shot and that he would have to rush Elad to a hospital while under intense fire from Hamas terrorists. That Prof. Gepner’s moshav near the Gaza border, Ein Habesor, was equipped and ready to defend itself from the dozens of terrorists which descended upon it that Saturday is thanks to a coincidental twist of fate. In the last few months, the moshav experienced a string of car thefts. To stop them, it increased its security detail from 12 to 78 people who were trained and added to a WhatsApp network such that one text could have them at the perimeter fence in minutes. When the Hamas terrorists showed up and tried to infiltrate, the fence was already being patrolled and backup came quickly. Elad was on security detail that morning, when suddenly he and his fellow guards found themselves caught in a shootout. With bullets flying, Elad called his brother to come help him. Guns were in short supply, so Prof. Gepner came running with only a rock in his hand as a weapon. Soon, Elad was shot in the shoulder and it was up to Prof. Gepner to get him to safety. He managed to bring his car to Elad and get him into the back seat, then hightail it in reverse to the back road of the moshav which leads to the route to Soroka Hospital. When they got out onto the road, they were met with a gory spectacle: 30 Hamas militants piled into pickup trucks and motorcycles, all in formation and shooting up the road. Along the sides were hit cars…and their drivers. “It took me a moment to really process what I was seeing,” Prof. Gepner said on a recent news broadcast. Prof. Gepner peeled down the road as terrorists shot after him, and his brother was hit again. With luck and daring on his side, he spun the car around and made it back to the entrance to the moshav where an ambulance was waiting. The ambulance driver also displayed great courage and drove through the gunfire to get Elad to the hospital. Elad is now in stable condition and recovering well. When the dust settled, it became clear that the swelled security detail of Moshav Ein Habesor had managed with only four machine guns and a few pistols to keep the terrorists from breaching their border. Only two guards were injured in the shootout. Prof. Gepner, who runs a TAU Faculty of Medicine lab focused on exercise science and is a member of the Sylvan Adams Sports Institute, is hopeful that his moshav will be able to renew its sense of safety. He told the Times of Israel, “We created a beautiful place here at Moshav Ein Habesor, and soon, we will be even stronger.”

Tel Aviv University continues to assist both the residents of the south and the overall war effort.

October 22, 2023

Dear members of the TAU community – faculty and staff, students, and loyal friends,

We find ourselves in the third week of the war. In these days of mourning and sorrow, the likes of which we have not known in Israel, I visited many of the bereaved families from the university community. The events of the terrible massacre, intertwined with stories of bravery and sacrifice, leave no dry eye. You can find the names of the fallen on the university’s memorial page. Our hearts are with their families. In a project initiated by the chair of the TAU Student Union, we created a memorial exhibit at our Smolarz Auditorium. On each chair in an auditorium of over a thousand seats, there is a picture of one of the victims: the fallen, the murdered, and the captive. It is hard to divert your eyes from the image of Kfir, a nine-month-old baby, under whose face the word “hostage” appears. We experienced a holocaust, here in our land.

Tel Aviv University continues to assist both the residents of the south and the overall war effort. Families from the south are being hosted free of charge in the student dormitories, with more on the way. The university’s Sylvan Adams Sports Center has also opened its doors to evacuees from the south and north. In addition, a team has been established to work with the Vice President for Equality, Diversity, and Community, and the Dean of Students, whose joint role is to manage and promote volunteer activities on campus. The team includes Prof. Itai Ater (Coller School of Management), Prof. Liad Mudrik (School of Psychological Sciences), and Prof. Michal Feldman (Blavatnik School of Computer Science). In addition to activities that I reported to you in an update a week ago, we are currently recruiting volunteers to assist communities in the south in general, and those surrounding Gaza in particular. Members of the university community went to volunteer in moshav Ein Habesor. A few days ago, I visited our own Prof. Yftach Gepner from the Faculty of Medicine, whose brother was injured in the terrorist attack there. In the heat of the moment, Yftach managed to rescue his brother, who is now recovering in the hospital. We hope to send additional volunteers to other communities in the south in the coming days.

The university campus is functioning, but unfortunately without its students. It is important not to leave our reserve soldiers behind either financially or academically! Students called up to serve have been exempted from rent at the university dormitories for the month of October (it should be noted that the dormitories are not owned by the University), and all TAU students have had their tuition fee payments postponed. Through the Student Success Center, and thanks to our generous donors, we are working to provide student reservists with additional financial aid both for now and for when they return from the war. Our students from the south will also receive assistance from the Dean of Students in cases of economic need.

One last, very important issue that I want to address is incitement on campus. Our nerves are raw; the pain and anger affect us all. But precisely because of this, and because of who we are, we must act responsibly. We take very seriously any campus expressions of solidarity with Hamas terrorists. The TAU Rector recently distributed a letter clarifying that TAU will take a firm hand – within the limits of the law and university regulations – against these instigators, whose numbers are less than a handful. In the same vein, we must strongly denounce the shocking claim being made here and around the world, including on some university campuses in the US, that the Hamas massacre is a “political issue” about which differing views can be expressed under freedom of speech. There can be no greater mistake. There is no difference between this claim and the claim that the Holocaust is a controversial political issue that is open to legitimate debate.

At the same time, we are facing a worrisome phenomenon of incitement via social media, most probably by people outside the university community, against Arab students. False stories and baseless rumors are being spread about Arab students supposedly identifying with Hamas. We, the Jews, who have suffered blood libels for hundreds of years, need to be especially sensitive to this. Incitement against Arab students who have done no harm is wicked and cowardly. Not only does it harm the innocent, but it also endangers our national resilience, cohesion and security. We must condemn and distance ourselves from those inciting against the innocent. Please refrain from cooperating with them and think for a moment before forwarding posts that may not be true. This difficult period requires that we all exercise social responsibility.

Returning to campus and normal life will not be easy. The terrible personal and collective pain will not quickly subside. But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, we will rise and continue onward.

Yours sincerely,

Ariel Porat

Here are some of the messages sent from heads of universities abroad.

Dear campus community,

Since October 7th, we have been immersed in unbearable pain.

But even in the darkness there are glimmers of light. As is probably true for many of you, my email inbox has been flooded with dozens of messages from friends all over the world expressing their solidarity with our tragedy and offering help.

I feel it is right to share with you some of the messages sent from heads of universities abroad. They are particularly heartening in the face of the wave of protests against Israel that is sweeping through many campuses worldwide.

Ariel Porat

---

Not much to say other than we are thinking of you, of the TAU community, and all Israelis as what has unfolded continues.

If there were something we could do to help, we would. We hope you are well and things turn quickly for the better.

Ron Liebowitz, President of Brandeis University

I know you are currently overwhelmed with responsibilities, but I wanted to let you know that I am thinking about you, your community, and all of Israel during this catastrophic and painful time.

I hope that you and your loved ones are as safe as can be, although I know there is no real safety under the circumstances.

I am heartened by the spirit of solidarity with Israel that I see throughout my campus and the broader community.

All words are small at such times. Even though my heart is broken I extend to you my deep friendship, best wishes, and hope that a resolution will be less painful than I worry it will be.

Shalom.

Howard Gillman, Chancellor, UC Irvine, California

We sincerely hope that you, your families, and the TAU community are safe in this terrible situation. We are following the news closely, with heavy hearts when seeing the great suffering caused by the war.

In friendship and solidarity

Bernd Huber,

President of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

I have watched with horror the shocking events unfolding over the past few days, and I wanted to send you a note of support. I cannot imagine what you and your colleagues and families must be going through right now.

At this very difficult time, please know that your friends at the University of Toronto are thinking of you.

Meric S. Gertler, President

University of Toronto

We have watched with horror and grave concern the terrible events and the suffering over the past few days.

We hope that you and your communities are safe and coping with this dreadful situation as best as you can.

With very best wishes

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President & Vice-Chancellor, The University of Manchester

On behalf of the Czech Academy of Sciences and on my own behalf, I want to express my support for our Israeli scientific colleagues and for the entire State of Israel. I was deeply shocked by this morning’s horrific news of infiltration of the hostile forces into your country, and I fully condemn this terrorist attack against Israel. We, as well as the Government of the Czech Republic, stand by Israel and its right for self-defence at this incredibly difficult time.

I hope that you, your families, colleagues, and friends are all right and safe, and believe that IDF would regain control and Israel would be victorious in this war very soon. My thoughts are with you!

Yours sincerely,

Prof. Dr. David Honys

Deputy Vice-President

President of the Council for International Affairs

Czech Academy of Sciences

The Dean and I wish to let you know how distressed we all were to hear about the horrific events that took place in Israel during these last few days.

We cannot find the words to express our sorrow and deep sympathy for all the victims, their families and their friends.

In the name of all of us at Venice International University, we wish to send you our most sincere condolences at this very difficult time.

In sorrow, Umberto Vattani, President

Carmelo Marabello, Dean

Venice International University

It is with great dismay that we received the news of the terrible attacks on Israel, in which so many innocent lives have been lost, and many others were taken hostage. The day the attacks started was supposed to be a holiday, a day for the people of Israel to rest and contemplate, but what has followed instead are days of unspeakable terror and fear. The fact that there were so many young people and even children among the victims makes these brutal attacks even more tragic. The situation leaves us completely speechless.

In these dark hours, our thoughts and hearts go out to the people of Israel, the victims, the hostages of the terrorist attacks, as well as their families – and to you as our partner university. Thank you for sharing any updates on the situation on your campus. Through your message we have learned that you already have to grieve for members of your university. We send out our sincere condolences – our thoughts are with you! We grieve with all those who have lost family, friends, or colleagues, or who still miss them.

We hope that the attacks will come to a swift end and that your country and your university will be able to return to some sort of normality as soon as possible. And we are looking forward to the times when the situation is safe enough for our universities to resume our exchange relations.

If there anything our university can do to support you in these dire times, please let us know.

Please stay safe.

Sincerely yours,

Professor Dr. Thomas Puhl

President, University of Mannheim

As Interim Rector of the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, I would like to express our shock and dismay about the brutal and inexcusable terrorist attacks on Israel and her people. We are utterly appalled by these cowardly acts of terrorism and particularly horrified by the terrorists’ savagery towards civilians, including women, children and the elderly. We grieve for the innocent lives lost, our thoughts are with the wounded as well as the innocent hostages and their loved ones.

Please be assured that we will do everything in our power to show our solidarity with you and your students at this terrible time.

Dear colleagues, we hope that you and your loved ones are safe. We stand with Israel.

Sincerely

Martin Weichbold,

Interim Rector, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg

We are deeply shocked by the recent violent attacks on Israel. Our sympathies go out to the victims and their families and friends. We are sending our deep condolences to all those who have lost loved ones or who still fear for them.

We stand firmly in solidarity with you, our friends and colleagues, and with our Israeli partner universities, with whom we have so many vivid and fruitful joint activities. Our visit in March was a wonderful experience, even though that week was already a week full of insecurities, protest, and fight for democracy. What happened now is beyond our imagination. We can only still hope for peace in the region sometime soon.

Thank you for informing and taking care of your international students and providing protected spaces if needed. We highly appreciate your efforts in the face of your own concerns for your families and friends.

We are thinking of you and wish you all the best in these difficult times.

Sincerely

Prof. Oliver Guenther, Ph.D.

President, University of Potsdam

With great shock and horror, we saw the pictures and read the reports about the attack on Israel.

Just a quick note to say that we think of you, mourn the victims of these horrible attacks and that we worry very much about the abducted. All of our empathy and solidarity go out to all of you!

I also wanted to assure you that we are in contact with all our Israeli students in Berlin including your exchange students and are offering psychological help or other help where needed.

Our president also has released a statement of solidarity on our website:

www.fu-berlin.de/en/international/profile/university-culture-and-global-…

Very best wishes,

Prof. Dr. Verena Blechinger-Talcott

Executive Vice President, Freie Universitat Berlin

On behalf of President Mathias Vicherat and the entire Sciences Po community, please allow me to express our solidarity after the appalling terrorist attacks that have impacted your country.

In keeping with the very close, strong and friendly relationships that Tel Aviv University and Sciences Po have entertained for years, we want to assure you that you can count on our support.

Since the weekend, we have carried in our thoughts our students, colleagues and friends from Israel. More than anything else, we hope very much that your students and faculty, and your close ones are safe, in security and in good health in spite of the shock.

Again, please receive our most heartfelt thoughts,

Sincerely,

Vanessa Scherrer, Vice President for International Affairs, Sciences Po

On behalf of POSTECH, we extend our most heartfelt condolences to Israel. We do hope that you and your loved ones are safe.

While we cannot fathom the devastation felt by the people of Israel, please know that we are with you in spirit during this time of difficulty. Our prayers are with all those affected.

For any member of Tel Aviv University who has been affected by the war in any way, we offer our sincere condolences. We are also aware that two students from Tel Aviv University will be visiting POSTECH as exchange students next spring. We will do our best to provide the support they need, and we wish all members of Tel Aviv University a safe and speedy return to their daily lives in the near future.

Warm regards,

Seong Keun Kim

President

POSTECH, The Republic of Korea

Milette passed on your thoughtful and compassionate letter to the Tel Aviv University community. My heart goes out to everyone. We consider you an extension of our extended family — please let us know if we can help in any way.

I hope for the safety of your students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Please know that we’re in touch with all of our visiting TAU students and have let them know we are here to support them. In terms of NYU Tel Aviv, all are safe and well, and the students were coincidentally scheduled to depart for a trip to NYU Abu Dhabi, which thankfully proceeded last Sunday.

 The atrocities of these terrorist acts are unspeakable, and I can only imagine the pain and devastation you’re experiencing at such close range. We are thinking of you and sending you strength.

As ever,

Linda G. Mills, NYU President

An update from the TAU rector, Prof. Mark Shtaif.

Dear staff, faculty and students

As we grieve for our lost ones and grapple with the events of October 7th, attempting to comprehend their profound impact on our lives within and beyond campus, we find ourselves confronted with a troubling surge of disinformation and, at times, blatant incitement. These elements are inundating the social networks frequented by our community members. In light of this, I would like to clarify a few important point:

1. Contrary to what is often stated on social media, the number of cases in which members of the campus community expressed support for the violent acts of Hamas is extremely small. The vast majority of the numerous complaints we have received pertain to the same few isolated incidents.
2. Most of the cases that have been brought to our attention have already been examined for factual correctness and referred to the university’s tribunal for a decision. The university tribunal is the only body authorized to rule on matters of punishment. As an institution that respects the law, we are obligated to adhere to it even in challenging times. In one of the cases, the tribunal has already imposed an interim suspension as a precautionary measure, and decisions regarding further interim suspensions in the other cases are expected to be made early next week.
3. Reports were also received about expressions of support for terrorism based on materials that were found to be false or were taken out of context. Unfortunately, many of these materials are circulated on social networks and are used for incitement against Arab students.

It is important to emphasize once again that the university’s policy categorically rejects any form of support for terrorism, particularly in these difficult days, and deals with them to the fullest extent possible under the law and according to the university’s regulations. The absolute majority of the campus community, Jews and Arabs alike, condemn these acts of terror and mourn deeply. Let us do our best to preserve our unity and respect the memory of the fallen and the victims.

I extend my condolences to our friends whose relatives were murdered and wish a speedy and complete recovery to the injured.

I also hope for the swift return of our abducted citizens.

Yours,

Prof. Mark Shtaif

Rector

Pictures of over 1,000 persons abducted, missing, or killed in the Hamas attack were displayed on empty seats in the Smolarz Auditorium at Tel Aviv University.

Under the motto UNITED AGAINST TERRORISM Tel Aviv University held an exhibit on Thursday, Oct. 19, at the Smolarz Auditorium which contains over 1,000 seats. Pictures of all persons abducted, missing, murdered, or killed, both citizens and IDF soldiers, were displayed on the empty seats. The initiative was led by Daniel Zilber, Chair of the TAU Student Union, in collaboration with TAU.

The exhibit is also part of a broad initiative led by Shaked Benafshi, initiator of the students’ public diplomacy war room UNITED AGAINST TERRORISM, which includes dozens of support rallies and exhibits at approximately 20 leading universities in the US and Europe, to assist Israel’s public diplomacy efforts and expose the horrors of the Hamas terror attack. Participating campuses include Harvard, Yale, NYU, MIT, University of Michigan, Columbia, and many others.

Daniel Zilber, Chair of the TAU Student Union: “At this time we are still in the midst of the inferno, in the midst of war. Many of the dead have not been identified yet, the wounded are just beginning to heal, in both body and soul, and our families, our friends, are lost. We are here to try to illustrate, even slightly, the extent of the horror, and show the world: we have been butchered. This is neither a slogan nor a cliché: Despite the carnage, we shall triumph. Despite the disaster, we shall come out stronger. We, the students, the future generation of the state of Israel, will do everything to make sure that such a disaster never happens again, not on our watch!”

Shaked Benafshi, former Chair of the National Union of Israeli Students: “The rallies and exhibits in support of Israel, including the War Room we opened this week, which includes over 100 students all over the world, prove that international solidarity does exist when it comes to unacceptable acts of terrorism. We see students coming together in unprecedented ways, to strengthen Israel’s publicity and stand behind us. Also, since we assume that as time goes by international public opinion will probably turn against Israel, we regard the activities of citizens and students in dozens of countries worldwide as a strategic asset for Israel’s public diplomacy.”

Liyam Chitayat, freshman at MIT: “Our lives have been shattered, divided forever into before and after. We have lost family members, friends, and communities in the worst, most inhuman ways possible. We are conducting this activity to show the faces and stories behind the numbers and stand together openly and proudly. We will not be afraid and will speak out for our brothers and sisters in Israel.”