Cambridge University professor accused of ‘relishing’ Hamas attacks

A Cambridge University professor has been accused of telling colleagues he “enjoyed” watching videos of Hamas killing Israeli soldiers, conformable TO The Jewish Chronicle (JC).

In a conversation reported to the newspaper by a Jewish academic at the same college, a professor reportedly said that watching these videos “gave him reassurance about the world.”

The professor, who lost a family member in the Oct. 7 attacks, said there was an “atmosphere of extremism that has come to surround this issue,” adding that “the voice of moderation, of civilization, of coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. was lost”.

This comes after Ivan Berkowitz, a Jewish-American corporate executive and Trinity graduate, accused alma mater of failing to properly investigate the disfigurement of a 1914 painting of Lord Arthur Balfour.

Berkowitz has since withdrawn a £315,000 donation to Trinity College, claiming he did not take the defacement of Balfour’s portrait seriously.

The former Trinity student was also said to have been “dismayed by reports that Trinity master Dame Sally Davies was considering divesting the College from arms companies linked to Israel following pressure from pro-activist student groups -Palestinians”.

Last year, Harvey Brown, then welfare officer for Cambridge Students Union (SU), was criticized after pleasure online content supporting Hamas attacks in Israel.

Brown has since apologized for his decision, calling it an “outburst” and acknowledging the “wrong done.”

“Like many online, I reacted instinctively to the first images of Palestinians fleeing Gaza without fully thinking about the language in these tweets,” Brown said.

He added: “I absolutely condemn any violence against civilians. I wanted to be reflective, honest and clear in my anti-racism and my opposition to state violence.”

Brown would continue resign his position as a social welfare officer on the SU’s position on the Gaza conflict, claiming the institution was “perfumingly disconnected from the student movements”.

A Cambridge University spokesman said The C: “We hate anti-Semitism and any form of racism,” adding that “senior members of the University have been in regular contact with Jewish groups.”

They continued: “Our priority is and will remain the safety and well-being of our staff and students. We will not tolerate unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation or harassment of any individual or group. Where staff or students have experienced racist incidents, we will support them to report them to the police and make a complaint to the university where appropriate.”

Referring to the Working Group, which was set up to look at arms investment, a University spokesman said: “We are keen to move forward with this important process and want to ensure that the full range of views is represented on these complex and vital issues”.