Rejecting Hate Speech

To: The Caltech Community
From: Thomas F. Rosenbaum, Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair and Professor of Physics

The terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas, reminiscent of pogroms and the Holocaust, have engendered an explosion of anti-Semitic posts on social media. They range from unadulterated celebrations of the killing of Jews to the more cloaked, but no less dehumanizing, denial of the Jewish people's right to self-determination. Some of these posts and emails have been directed to members of the Caltech community.

I write to condemn unequivocally these expressions of hate and prejudice and to offer the Institute's support to those affected. We strive to create at Caltech an inclusive environment where all can express their views in ways that respect one another, and the grief felt by our colleagues, friends, and peers is met with compassion and empathy.