Thirty-three university students of diverse faiths participate in the Middle Meets project at the headquarters of Scholas Ocurrentes in the Roman neighborhood of Trastevere. / Credit: Scholas Ocurrentes
Vatican City, Feb 10, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
In2023,theconflictbetweenIsraelandHamasdraggeduniversitiesaroundtheworldintoawarofideaswithprotests,proclamations,andaccusationsrampingupthetension.
Theinitial,almostunanimoussupportforIsraelandthecondemnationofthe1,200murdersand252hostagesthatHamastookonOct.7,2023,quicklyturnedintoprotests,someveryviolent,duetotheoverwhelmingIsraeliresponse.
“Whathappenedintheacademicworldisthatitbecameaplacewherepeoplecannolongerspeakfreely.Everyonetakessidesandsilencestheotherbysaying:‘We’reright,theothersarewrong,’”ProfessorElitzurBar-AsherSiegaloftheHebrewUniversityofJerusalemtoldACIPrensa,CNA’sSpanish-languagenewspartner.
“WhenIseemystudentsgotoademonstration,Idon’ttellthemnottodoitbecauseIthinkitrepresentstheissuethatmatterstothem.Theproblemiswhentheyrepeatrhetoricthatmean
