Daniel Denenberg is a rising junior at Harvard College and the Israel Chair of Harvard Hillel. Denenberg sat down with The HPR to discuss his experiences and perspectives on the Israel-Hamas conflict and the campus climate at Harvard. He reflected on the silence from the broader community following the October 7th attacks and the struggles Jewish students have faced. Denenberg delved specifically into the difficulty certain Jewish community members have had expressing their views openly on campus, describing a palpable sense of tension.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Harvard Political Review: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role as the Israel Chair of Harvard Hillel? How does your work fit into the larger mission of Harvard Hillel on campus?
Danny Denenberg: So, I have been the Israel Chair of Harvard Hillel for over two years now. My overarching responsibilities are to be on the undergraduate board, to help with programming, and to respond to antisemitism on campus and anti-Israel sentiment on campus, as well. My role as Israel Chair is to essentially assist with the mission of Hillel: To make sure that Jews feel like they have a home on campus, for Zionists and non-Zionists to also feel like they have a home on campus.
HPR: On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an attack in southern Israel resulting in the death of an estimated 1,200 civilians, and captured around 250 hostages. Can you share some of your own personal observations within the Jewish and Israeli community at Harvard in the immediate aftermath, and how their emotions have evolved throughout the Israel-Hamas conflict?
DD: So October 7th happened. And it was a really terrible day. We had many personal connections from our Jewish community, our Israeli community, to deaths that happened on that day. And immediately following, we were expecting some sort of outreach from the community, some sort of response, even just for people to say “I’m sorry.” And there was silence. We heard absolutely nothing from the community. And it’s shocking, given we’re in such an era of statements and speaking out, especially against violence against women, against rape, and sexual assault. And not only were we met with silence in terms of standing in solidarity with victims on that day, but we were met with a complete denial of reality in terms of the PSC letter that was released only a day later blaming Israel entirely for the deaths that occurred on October 7th. And since then, we have seen Jewish students being intimidated, being harassed, and generally feeling unsafe at Harvard just to be Jewish, but moreover, to speak out, to be proudly Zionist.
HPR: You mentioned PSC, but I want to include the unrecognized Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine organization, as these are the two prominent groups we see on campus. They’ve organized protests, and as you mentioned, issued statements and recently held a 20-day encampment in Harvard Yard. What are your thoughts on their actions, their approach to activism, and their goals for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for Harvard to disclose and divest from certain Israeli-associated entities?
DD: I will say, I’m for free speech, I’m for peaceful protesting. But when it crosses the line into intimidating Jewish students, then it becomes problematic in my eyes. So when you start hearing chants of, “There’s only one solution: Intifada revolution,” or “From water to water, Palestine will be Arab,” those sound like threats to me. Those sound like calls to violence to me. And it is extremely painful to be in the Jewish community and hear these and hear no one speaking out against them.
HPR: So on this note, it seems from someone who’s not necessarily a stakeholder if we went to look at this as a two sides issue, although I don’t think that reflects some of the nuances there, there appears to be a debate between two communities over the use of certain language, certain slogans. For example, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” you mentioned, “Intifada,” “globalize the Intifada.” And, as you mentioned, there are members within the Jewish community like yourself and like the American Jewish Committee who said that the slogans like “from the river to the sea” are “calling for the elimination of the Jewish state,” in the region and see this language as antisemitic. While on the other hand, we have pro-Palestinian advocates and activists like Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib who views the same term that I just mentioned as “an inspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction or hate.” I’m curious about your perspective on what would you say to a Palestinian student or ally who, during these protests, uses these terms as forms of empowerment and conscious raising and doesn’t necessarily view it as antisemitic?
DD: I would say do your research. I mean, the Intifada refers widely to a period in Israeli history where there were near-constant shootings, stabbings, suicide bombings within Israel. And that’s just what it refers to. And you can argue, you can parse semantics, but if you don’t understand the history, then you shouldn’t be speaking out in this debate. Also, I think chants like “from water to water, Palestine will be Arab,” which are often chanted at Harvard, in Arabic, so most people don’t actually understand what they’re saying, are pretty clear. It’s calling for Palestine, from water to water, to be Arab — for Jews to be eradicated from that land. And that’s a call to violence, in my opinion.
HPR: I haven’t heard of the “from water to water, Palestine will be Arab” chant. But I’m curious specifically about your thoughts — because it seems to be one that is more in the news, and more discussed — on the phrasing of “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Do you view that slogan in the same light?
DD: I would say it can be taken to be a call for the eradication of Jews.
HPR: Let us look at the broader academic and intellectual environment on Harvard’s campus regarding the long and difficult history of these conflicts. As a student, what has been your experience with free academic discourse at Harvard regarding the Israel-Hamas war, and the longer conflict between the Israeli and Palestinian people? Do you feel that the discussions in classrooms, at speaker events, and in casual conversations allow for an open and respectful dialogue?
DD: I think the atmosphere around this debate at Harvard results in Jewish students feeling unable to express themselves. For example, it is not socially acceptable at Harvard to say you are a Zionist. There are only two places at Harvard where I have felt socially free to express that viewpoint, and that is Harvard Hillel and Chabad: the two Jewish organizations on campus. I think that we live in a polarizing time on campus. And I wish that people were more willing to come to the table to discuss these issues in public and to accept a more nuanced approach to an issue in which many students on campus don’t even really have a stake.
HPR: The term Zionism is often used a lot, and I feel like it can be hard for people to understand the definition. I feel as though students have different definitions of that term. Could you explain in your own words how you define that term?
DD: Yeah. If you believe that Jews should be able to live somewhere in the land of Israel, then you’re a Zionist. It really is that simple.
HPR: There’s a group known as Jews for Palestine, and they’re allied with pro-Palestinian groups on campus advocating for greater support for Palestinian students at Harvard. And like we were just discussing, they see a clear difference between the terms antisemitism and anti-Zionism. They made news this last November for occupying University Hall and demanding greater support for Palestinian students by the university and [making] a statement asserting that antisemitism and anti-Zionism are not the same. What has been the reaction among students at Harvard Hillel to this group? And what is your personal reaction to their advocacy efforts?
DD: I would say, just like any community, the Jewish community is a diverse one. There are a lot of opinions that are held with Jews on campus. But I would say that these protests, and the wider intimidation and harassment that Jews feel, are felt and experienced by most Jews on campus. And I would say that the Jews for Palestine that you were mentioning are a very small fraction of those Jews.
HPR: And as for their claim and their belief that antisemitism and anti-Zionism are not the same, is that an opinion that you share?
DD: I think there are many legitimate criticisms of Israel that you can make. Israelis are often the most critical of Israel in my experience. But when it crosses into the line of delegitimizing Israel as a country, as an entity, and using language that makes it seem like Israel is the great evil of mankind, then it becomes antisemitic because you are applying a double standard to the way you talk about Israel where you wouldn’t use that same language to any other country, you know, even countries that are actively committing genocide like China, or countries that actually have a gender apartheid, like Iran. Yeah, so that’s when it crosses the line into antisemitism for me.
HPR: So can someone be an anti-Zionist, and not antisemitic?
DD: I would say, I mean, I defined Zionism earlier as believing that Jews have a right to exist in the land of Israel. I think if you believe that Jews specifically should not be able to live there, then you’re an antisemite.
HPR: I want to more specifically talk about the war. The Israeli government in response to Hamas’s attack has since engaged in bombings, ground invasions, and at certain times restricted humanitarian aid. There’s an estimated death toll of 35,000 Palestinians. This has undoubtedly deeply affected Palestinian and Arab students at Harvard, who, like many Jewish and Israeli students, are experiencing mourning, shock, and grief. Do you believe that there is a commonality between these communities and how they’ve been impacted by the war? And in the emotions that they’ve been sharing?
DD: I would first just like to correct you really quick. The UN released an article basically correcting their death numbers for Gaza. They essentially cut it in half. So it’s around half of what you just said. But I would say, the situation in Israel is very, very complicated. And, regardless of what’s happening overseas, I would really like on our campus to see some sort of condemnation of Hamas, which we haven’t seen, period. I mean, if you look through the PSC’s Instagram, and you scroll back in time to even before October 7th, you would think that Israel one day just decided to go into Gaza for no apparent reason. They fail to acknowledge what is seemingly the most basic element of this puzzle, which is that Hamas came into Israel, and raped and killed 1,200 Israelis.
HPR: And do you believe that there’s the commonality, though, between these two communities right now, in the sense of emotions that they’ve been experiencing?
DD: You’re saying between Palestinians and Israelis?
HPR: Yeah, students on campus.
DD: Yeah, I mean, I think both sides are feeling a lot of hurt and a lot of pain. And I think any single death is a tragedy. And I think we need to find some way to talk about it on campus. I know us at Hillel are always reaching out to try to hold discussions. And we have been met with a lot of walls in terms of dialogue between Jews and Palestinians.
HPR: Moving on toward Harvard’s reaction to most recent events. This question is going to be more specific to the most recent events regarding academic sanctions, specifically, around the 37 students for their involvement in the Harvard Yard encampment. And this has led to criticism from students and faculty groups who claim that the university is engaging in violations of freedom of speech, and academic independence. Do you believe that Harvard was justified in this, which in many ways was unprecedented if we begin by looking around to the 1960s? Or do you agree with some of those denouncing the university’s actions? How do you think that the university could have managed these demonstrations better?
DD: I’d first like to say, right, I think that these protests are unprecedented in terms of the rhetoric that’s being used and in terms of the length and style of the protest. But yeah, I’m also — in terms of what happened at commencement, which is all connected to this — I think there’s a case to be made on free speech grounds. You know, you can debate whether or not this type of rhetoric should be spoken in protests. But what is truly shocking to me is that these 13 seniors who are not graduating are being treated like heroes, and some of these seniors are vicious antisemites who have spread numerous conspiracy theories, denied that any rape even occurred on October 7th, I could go on and on and on. But essentially, I believe in the right to peacefully protest. I believe in free speech. I, myself, am a free-speech absolutist. I just don’t think Harvard is. But when it turns into intimidation of students, then there needs to be action that’s taken. And in terms of the sanctions that occurred, I just think on a very basic level, the students broke Harvard University rules and are being punished for it. And what’s generally important to me is that the university enacts consequences and doesn’t make concessions. Because this is a critical time where the administration is going to teach the student body whether they are able to actually enact consequences or whether they are going to be controlled by the opinion of students constantly.
HPR: Many students have friends or acquaintances impacted by the conflict in the Middle East, possibly representing opposing viewpoints and experiences. What advice would you give to those who want to help support their Jewish and Israeli friends on campus? What do you believe this community needs from their peers during this tense, divided, and often emotional time?
DD: I would say get educated yourself. Do some research about the history of the land, the history of the people, why Jews even care about Israel in the first place. And talk to your Jewish friends about it and learn from them, and ask them, “Are you okay?”. And most importantly, call things out when you hear them. When you hear something that is blatantly wrong, call it out. I think a lot of Jews, especially at Harvard, feel like we don’t have allies in any other communities. There are no statements being put out by other clubs that are in support of Jews at all. And we need allies in this time. So I would say “Get educated. Call things out. Connect with your Jewish friends.”
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