Despite the self-congratulatory elements of much of the reporting on how well the administration supposedly dealt with the demonstrations, I am greatly disappointed in the apparent willingness of the Princeton administration to invoke minimal if any disciplinary actions for the forceful occupation of a University building and the defacement of Princeton property. This will only incentivize similar activities in the future. Civil disobedience implies that you are willing to pay the price for unlawful behavior; the protesters should pay the price for their actions. It is not clear what a “restorative justice” requirement would be to allow a student to graduate or what the implications would be of “probation.”
I am also disappointed in the absence of discussion about the origins of this war. Hamas is a terrorist organization committed, by its own charter, to the elimination of Jews globally. The fighting could be over tomorrow — Hamas just has to surrender. If students are not aware of this, then Princeton education has some major problems; if they are aware and don’t care, then antisemitism is even worse than I thought on campus. Finally, Princeton has opened itself to future Title VI lawsuits, which have afflicted Harvard and other universities, since this environment is threatening to other students and perpetuates antisemitism.