“PRINCETON STANDS WITH ISRAEL”: About 400 people, many wearing or carrying Israeli flags, attended a vigil in support of Israel on Thursday evening, October 12, outside the Frist Campus Center at Princeton University. (Photo by Summer Pramer)

By Donald Gilpin

Over the past ten days, repercussions from the October 7 terrorist attacks on Israel and the war in the Middle East have been felt acutely in the Princeton area as they have been felt throughout the world.

There have been vigils, rallies, forums, essays, letters, and more. On Thursday, October 12, came the announcement of the death of 20-year-old Lior Abramov of Hopewell, who was “among the innocent victims tragically killed in the terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas,” according to a statement by Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes.

In a posting on X (formerly Twitter) the same day, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy mourned the death of Abramov, noting, “Lior had moved to Israel to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a successful DJ. Our prayers are with his family as they grieve this unimaginable loss.”

In an October 10 statement Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber noted, “The nightmare underway in Israel and in the Palestinian territories is being deeply felt on this campus. The pain will inevitably continue in the months ahead. My heart goes out to everyone personally affected.”

Eisgruber emphasized that many members of the University community are Israelis and Palestinians and that many others have friends or relatives who are suffering directly from this violence.

Eisgruber described “Hamas’ murder and kidnapping of hundreds of Israelis over the past weekend” as “among the most atrocious of terrorist acts.” He concluded his remarks, “I hope that Princetonians from all backgrounds will treat each other with grace and compassion during this difficult time.”

On  the evening of October 12, about 400 people attended a “Princeton Stands with Israel” vigil, sponsored by the Center for Jewish Life and Chabad at Princeton University.

At the vigil, held outside the University’s Frist Campus Center, many carried or wore Israeli flags, and there were songs, prayers, candle lighting, and short speeches, according to Princeton Alumni Weekly (PAW). Students displayed photos of those who had been murdered, kidnapped, or were missing after the attack.

“A barbaric attack on innocent civilians shakes us to our core, but at that core, we are filled with purpose. We stand up for what is right. We condemn unspeakable cruelty, and we comfort those around us,” said Rabbi Eitan Webb, co-director of the Scharf Family Chabad House at Princeton, as quoted in PAW.

In a vigil held outside Nassau Hall on the following day, October 13, Princeton Students for Justice in Palestine echoed the expressions of sympathy for the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians, but issued a statement condemning “the Israeli apartheid state.”

“Coming from a wide range of faith backgrounds, ethnicities, and origins, we are in mourning,” the statement read. “We hold the Jewish and Palestinian communities in our hearts, including many of our own family and friends, who are living through this trauma. We pray for those who are grieving their dead or searching for loved ones.”

The statement went on to call on the Princeton community “to support its Palestinian members unequivocally, as we have unequivocally with Israeli students.”

“Princeton Voices on Israel and Gaza” was the title of an October 12 online panel discussion hosted by Princeton University’s School for Public and International Affairs (SPIA). Participants included Professor of Middle East Studies and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer; former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, economist and distinguished visitor in foreign affairs Salam Fayyad; and Mona Yacoubian, vice president of the Middle East and North Africa Center at the United States Institute of Peace. SPIA Dean Amaney Jamal introduced the event, which was moderated by visiting scholar Razia Iqbal.

Jamal expressed “empathy and care for all civilians, Israeli and Palestinian,” declaring “We are all victims of this conflict.” Focusing closer to home, she continued, “We are rallying around Princeton students who have lost friends and family in Israel. Many are still uncertain about the fate of so many loved ones. We are also rallying around Princeton Palestinian students who are also watching their loved ones amidst the bombing in Gaza and are also waiting to hear the news about their families and friends and loved ones. We will stay united as a community that supports one another.”

Kurtzer declared that although he had spent 48 years working for peace in the Middle East, “I’ve never seen anything as horrific as what happened on Saturday and over the weekend. What we saw with Hamas was a murderous, bloodthirsty, depraved killing spree.”

He added, “We are not even at the beginning of the first act of this tragedy.”  Kurtzer went on to praise the United States’ support for Israeli and determination to help prevent a widening war. 

All of the panelists commented on the dangers of a widening battle and the need for diplomacy to contain the conflict and not allow it to expand into a regional war.

On Monday, October 16, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman joined 12 of her colleagues in introducing in Congress the Ceasefire Now Resolution, urging President Joe Biden to call for immediate de-escalation and ceasefire, to send humanitarian aid to Gaza, and to help save as many lives as possible.

“A shared wish of every parent is a world in which their children can live in peace and security,” Watson Coleman wrote in a statement. “Accordingly I support every effort to de-escalate the violence in Israel and Palestine. This must be a primary focus of our foreign policy. Secretary Blinken must work with his counterparts in the region to call for an immediate ceasefire and delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

Watson Coleman went on to emphasize the urgency of working towards lasting peace in the region. “I will continue to support every reasonable effort to bring peace to Israel and Palestine and leave our children a world based in peace, dignity, and mutual respect,” she said.