The war of words over the ongoing Israel-Hamas violence in the Middle East has stretched to most corners of the internet, as well as New York, where a law student has reportedly lost a job over "inflammatory" comments.
Ryna Workman, student president of the NYU Law School Bar Association, published a statement in a school newsletter that was widely circulated on social media Tuesday, stating "unwavering and absolute solidarity with Palestinians in their resistance against oppression toward liberation and self-determination."
“Israel bears full responsibility for this tremendous loss of life. This regime of state-sanctioned violence created the conditions that made resistance necessary. I will not condemn Palestinian resistance," the message continued.
The bar association president went on to condemn apartheid, settler colonialism and "the violence of trapping thousands in an open-air prison."
Winston & Strawn, a law firm that apparently employed Workman as a summer associate, announced that the law student's employment offer had been rescinded because of their comments.
"Today, Winston & Strawn learned that a former summer associate published certain inflammatory comments regarding Hamas’ recent terrorist attack on Israel and distributed it to the NYU Student Bar Association," the statement said. "These comments profoundly conflict with Winston & Strawn’s values as a firm. Accordingly, the Firm has rescinded the law student’s offer of employment."
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Officials with New York University also spoke out Tuesday, releasing a number of statements criticizing the student's position and distancing the school from the message.
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"The statement issued by the Student Bar Association does not in any way reflect the point of view of NYU. Acts of terrorism are immoral. The indiscriminate killing of civilians and hostage-taking, including children and the elderly, is reprehensible. Blaming victims of terrorism for their own deaths is wrong," John Beckman, an NYU spokesperson, said.
