A student-led petition criticized Thomas-Greenfield’s UN voting record, particularly her votes on resolutions related to a ceasefire in Gaza.
Xavier University of Louisiana recently withdrew an invitation for the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, to speak at their commencement, marking the second such cancellation following a similar decision by the University of Vermont, US media reported on Thursday.
Both institutions attributed their decisions to significant student and community pressure stemming from the Biden administration’s stance on Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Dr. Reynold Verret, President of Xavier, expressed in a letter that the decision was made to ensure a disruption-free graduation ceremony.
“The vast majority of students want to be able to enjoy a commencement ceremony free of disruptions,” he said.
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Despite announcing Thomas-Greenfield as the speaker on May 5, the university reportedly reversed its decision after a petition with over 1,700 signatures demanded the end of political influence at the event.
The petition criticized Thomas-Greenfield’s UN voting record, particularly her votes on resolutions related to a ceasefire in Gaza.
The University of Vermont had previously rescinded Thomas-Greenfield’s invitation, acknowledging on-campus demonstrations. President Suresh Garimella communicated understanding of the frustrations regarding foreign policy in a community letter, noting the decision was made with reluctance.
CBS News reported that these decisions were made despite the invitations being extended well before the escalation of campus protests.
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Gaza Genocide
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 34,904 Palestinians have been killed, and 78,514 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
