A George Washington University (GWU) graduate has criticised the university's financial ties to Israel and its role in what she calls a "genocide" in Gaza, Palestine. In her commencement speech, Cecilia Culver, an Economics and Statistics graduate, stated that the "horrors" unfolding in Palestine are disregarded only by those "lacking a moral backbone."
"For over a year, we have watched a genocide be committed against Palestinians," Culver said early in her speech.
"I cannot celebrate my own graduation without a heavy heart, knowing how many students in Palestine have been forced to stop their studies, expelled from their homes, and killed for simply remaining in the country of their ancestors,” she declared.
Her statements come after President Donald Trump harshly penalised American universities for how they handled pro-Palestine protests on campus. Trump denounced such protests as anti-American and antisemitic, and he cracked down on immigrant students who participated in them, NDTV reports.
Cecilia Culver went on to denounce the "imperialist system" and the GWU's financial endowments, alleging that they fund companies involved in the continuing war. "I am ashamed to know my tuition is being used to fund this genocide," she said.
She also accused the GWU administration of rejecting students' persistent requests for openness and accountability.
"Despite repeated calls to disclose all endowments and investments by the university and divest from the apartheid state of Israel, the administration has refused. Instead, they have repressed anyone with the courage to point out the blood on their hands," she stated.
Culver concluded her statement by adding, "I call upon the class of 2025 to withhold donations and continue advocating for disclosure and divestment. No one is free until Palestine is free."
Several audience members responded to her statements with loud clapping and shouts.
In response, university officials released a statement apologising for what they called a "violation of the code of conduct."
Her statements come amid increased global criticism of Israel's war on Gaza, which is now in its second year.
According to Gaza's health ministry, more than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, the majority of whom are women and children.
Israel started the operation in response to a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 Israelis and took over 240 hostages.
