“The coalition members have signed onto a clear statement based on core unifying principles – Hamas is a terrorist organization and the Palestinian people are not represented by Hamas. In fact, they are being harmed by Hamas,” the group wrote, adding, “We encourage presidents and chancellors of all U.S. and global colleges and universities to join the effort by sending an e-mail.”

“We stand together with Israel against Hamas,” the statement from Universities United Against Terrorism reads. “We are horrified and sickened by the brutality and inhumanity of Hamas. Murdering innocent civilians including babies and children, raping women and taking the elderly as hostages are not the actions of political disagreement but the actions of hate and terrorism.”

“The basis of all universities is a pursuit of truth, and it is times like these that require moral clarity,” the letter continued. “Like the fight against ISIS, the fight against Hamas is a fight against evil. We, the presidents and chancellors of universities and colleges across the United States of America and the world, stand with Israel, with the Palestinians who suffer under Hamas’ cruel rule in Gaza and with all people of moral conscience.”

[This was published on Thursday but is getting more notice today. Perhaps if these institutions of higher education hadn’t taken four weeks to figure out which side to support, people would have noticed it more prominently. The statement is solid, but why on November 2 rather than October 10 when it became clear that their campuses had started emulating the café scene from Cabaret, with only the absence of ‘Tomorrow Belongs to Me’ as a differentiator?

UPDATE: A reader at one of the universities, Professor Timothy Burns at Baylor, kindly corrects me on the timing. Most of these schools had signed the letter within the first ten days of the conflict. The reason why it got no attention until later, Professor Burns says, is because none of the Ivy League schools signed the letter. Baylor has tried to stay in the forefront of support for Israel in its fight against Hamas; he sent over the letter that went out on October 16 from President Linda Livingstone. I have copied the relevant passage below this. And … sic ’em, Bears. — Ed]

We Stand Together with Israel Against Hamas

“We are horrified and sickened by the brutality and inhumanity of Hamas. Murdering innocent civilians including babies and children, raping women and taking the elderly as hostages are not the actions of political disagreement but the actions of hate and terrorism. The basis of all universities is a pursuit of truth and it is times like these that require moral clarity. Like the fight against ISIS, the fight against Hamas is a fight against evil. We, the presidents of universities across the United States of America and the world, stand with Israel, with the Palestinians who suffer under Hamas’s cruel rule in Gaza and with all people of moral conscience.”

We know these are indescribably challenging days for the Baylor Family, and in this moment, we weep with those who weep and look forward to a day when the Lord will make peace our governor and when violence will no longer be heard in our world, ever heeding Christ’s words: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

[UPDATE: Bumped up into the marquee overnight. — Ed]