Over the weekend, a display of over one thousand Israeli and American flags was destroyed at Harvard University. The flags were planted by the local chapter of the Young America's Foundation to honor the victims of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack that sparked the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
A Jewish student, Shabbos Kestenbaum, who helped plant the flags with YAF, discovered the vandalism after returning from a Sabbath service. Kestenbaum described the scene in a video, stating that the flags were thrown all over the campus, in the garbage, or ripped. He mentioned that all the hostage posters were also destroyed, but they plan to replace them.
YAF shared photos and videos of the damage on social media and expressed their intention to repair the memorial. YAF President Gov. Scott Walker condemned the vandalism, emphasizing that the flags represent the Americans and Israelis who have been held hostage since October 7th.
Meanwhile, students at an encampment on the Harvard campus, associated with the group Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine (HOOP), are facing potential disciplinary action from the university administration. Harvard President Alan Garber warned that students involved in HOOP could be placed on involuntary leave if their protest persists.
HOOP had requested negotiations with school administrators by Monday evening but did not receive a response. The situation remains tense as the university contemplates how to address the ongoing protests on campus.
