NHC President’s Statement on Israel and Hamas
The National Humanities Center joins much of the world in condemning the ruthless October 7th incursion into Israel by Hamas. That this murderous rampage occurred, not in the occupied West Bank, but was visited upon peaceful citizens in unoccupied territory, renders this act even more senseless. The brutal hostage taking of innocent people, including young children and the elderly, is both barbaric and cynical. We also recognize that zealotry must not be met with equivalent zealotry if the cycle of violence in this fraught region is ever to cease. While we understand Israel’s right to defend itself against such atrocious hostility, we also hope this might be an opportunity to pursue justice and self-determination for the Palestinian people and to rectify the turn toward anti-democratic policies that only exacerbate inequities and distrust. The humanities always have fostered a culture of healthy, respectful debate which seeks to bring disparate perspectives into conversation and reconciliation. We urge the warring parties and their interlocutors to adopt this broader attitude so that violence and hate can be converted to concord and equanimity.
–Robert D. Newman, President and Director, National Humanities Center
Who We Are
The National Humanities Center is unique: a free standing national resource devoted to advancing significant humanistic study and reflection and to making those insights available both inside and outside the academic world. Learn More ›
Featured Research: Addressing Legacies of Injustice and the Effects of Bondage
In this issue we highlight the research of Fellows from the class of 2023–24 whose projects look at the immediate and extended social effects of incarceration, resistance in the midst of captivity, and efforts to confront persistent legacies of injustice that resonate to the present day. Learn More ›
What Are the Humanities?
Humanities research adds to our knowledge of the world, as scholars investigate differences between cultures and communities around the world and across time, consider the ways art is made and received, or unveil the undercurrents that have shaped history. Learn More ›