Ashland University Statement on Current Events in Israel

Joe Lyons • October 12, 2023

We, at Ashland University, are outraged, troubled and saddened by the events currently unfolding in the Holy Land. An unprovoked attack by Hamas—designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the European Union, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the U.S. governments—against Israel and its citizens has led to overwhelming death and destruction throughout the region, and a war has been declared.

We join with many others in solidarity with Israel against Hamas and its brutal attack that has brought this mayhem. We mourn those who have died, pray for those who have been taken as hostages and for all those who remain in harm’s way.

At Ashland, we have a long history of condemning and working to combat antisemitism. We have recently partnered with Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, to bring two scholars to our campus next spring. They will be educating our students, faculty and staff on the importance of remaining diligent against the forces that led to the Holocaust and continue to threaten Jewish people around the world.

While we look forward to those initiatives, our collective hearts and thoughts go out to all who are affected by these current events. We pray for a peaceful and immediate resolution and urge respectful campus discourse as we consider how best to support Israel and its fight against terror.