On October 7, 2023, a horrific series of terror atrocities were executed by Hamas against Israeli civilians. These acts included mass murder, torture, rape, beheadings, kidnappings, and the firing of thousands of rockets at Israeli communities.
The attacks resulted in over 1,200 Israeli deaths, hundreds of kidnappings, and thousands of injuries. Israel responded with a military campaign named “Swords of Iron.” Hamas, recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Canada, European Union, Israel, and other nations, has a long history of violence against Israeli civilians, including mass shootings, suicide bombings, kidnappings, and rocket attacks.
Who is Diana Greenwald?
Diana Barbara Greenwald is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the City College of New York (CCNY), part of the City University of New York (CUNY). As of December 6, 2023, she was also affiliated with the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at CCNY. Her forthcoming book, “Mayors in the Middle: Indirect Rule and Local Government in Occupied Palestine,” is scheduled for publication in May 2024 by Columbia University Press.
Greenwald completed her PhD and a master’s degree at the University of Michigan in 2017. Earlier, in 2011, she received training at Birzeit University, an institution where the student body has been known to celebrate terrorists, as indicated by events such as student government elections featuring models of exploding Israeli buses.
On October 15, 2023, Greenwald appeared on ABC 7’s “Eyewitness News” program, where she discussed the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. She sparked controversy by accusing Israel of “continued occupation, siege, and apartheid.” She emphasized the context of the Gaza population living under Israeli military siege for 16 years and the need to understand this situation in relation to the ongoing bombings.
When asked about Hamas’s objectives, Greenwald suggested that the attacks provided an opportunity to rethink the status quo in the occupied Palestinian territories, which Israel has controlled since the Six-Day War in 1967. She stressed that while the individuals responsible for the violence must be held accountable, it is also crucial to address the root causes, such as occupation and apartheid.
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Greenwald’s remarks have been criticized for blaming Israel in the midst of a conflict involving Hamas terror attacks, drawing attention to the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the challenges in addressing its deep-rooted issues.
