October 7, 2023 – statement of support from Computational Biologists
We (signed below), computational biology researchers across the globe, are shocked and devastated by the acts of terrorism and physical and mental torture that were perpetrated by Hamas terrorists against the innocent, peaceful civilian population of Israel. We also strongly condemn the subsequent celebrations of this atrocious attack in rallies in leading campuses in the western world.
On the morning of October 7, Hamas terrorists launched an attack on Israeli civilians, infiltrating the democratic state of Israel from the Gaza Strip. The terror attacks were cruel and horrific, reminiscent of the dark days of the Holocaust. Hamas terrorists tortured and then executed entire families, they beheaded babies, raped women, and paraded their abused naked bodies in the streets of Gaza. Entire villages were wiped out in this attack. Hamas terrorists also massacred and slaughtered 260 innocent youths from many nationalities at a peace festival. As a result of the brutality and mass scale of the attack, numerous bodies of Israeli civilians have not been identified weeks after the attack. The terrorists took more than 230 hostages back to Gaza, including infants and dozens of children. Abducting civilians and keeping them as hostages is a clear violation of all international laws and rules of human decency, especially when denying these hostages any access to the Red Cross. Many in the computational biology community were directly and indirectly harmed by the attacks and the war consequently imposed on Israel.
The October 7 slaughter should be unequivocally condemned irrespective of any differences in views regarding the Israeli-Arab conflict. There is no room for “both-sideism” here, no room for ambiguity.
We therefore stand with Israel with these basic, universal human demands:
- Fully condemn the inhumane attacks by Hamas terrorists on Israel that started on October 7, 2023.
- Join President Biden and the European Union in characterizing Hamas as a terrorist organization.
- Demand that Hamas immediately and unconditionally release all hostages and desist from using any civilian person or infrastructure as a shield.
- Acknowledge the right of the democratic state of Israel to defend itself against such attacks in accordance with international humanitarian law.
- Oppose and condemn any expression of the rampant antisemitism spreading worldwide as well as any celebrations of these attacks, killings, and torturing.
At the same time, we wish to express our deepest sorrow and support for every innocent victim of this conflict regardless of nationality or religion.
An updated list of signatories can be found here.
Go here to add your signature.