College Presidents Debate When to Speak Out — and When to Keep Quiet

College presidents were inundated with demands last month that they make a statement after Hamas attacked Israel and killed 1,200 people — and then Israel retaliated. But there seemed to be no right way to do it.
Since then, the leaders have been simultaneously criticized for being too supportive of Israel or not supportive enough; for ignoring the estimated 10,000 Palestinian people who have died in Israel’s military response; for taking any stance on the Israel-Hamas war; and for saying nothing at all. With pressures on all sides, how do college presidents decide when to comment on world events? And when they do make a statement, what should they say?