Tom Royals: UVA Leadership Must Immediately Condemn Repulsive Student Statement in Support of Unspeakable Terrorist Atrocities

GERMANTOWN, MD: Former U.S. Navy aviator and Republican candidate for Congress Tom Royals, a graduate of the University of Virginia (UVA) Darden School of Business, released the following statement on Tuesday on a recent statement made by a UVA student group regarding the ongoing Hamas terrorist attacks on innocent Israeli civilians. 

In the statement, students described the horrific attacks being perpetrated by Hamas against thousands of civilian Israeli women and children as “a step towards a free Palestine.” They also went on to unequivocally support Hamas taking over Israeli lands by “whatever means necessary” and glorified the terrorist attacks on civilians as a “reflect[ion] of the power and resilience of the Palestinian people.”

“The statement issued by a UVA student group in support of the unspeakable atrocities being perpetrated by Hamas terrorists is morally repugnant and deeply disturbing to me as a graduate of Darden,” Royals said. “University leaders, including President Jim Ryan, should immediately, and unequivocally, condemn this repulsive, indefensible and dangerous rhetoric that expresses support for the brutal murder and rape of innocent civilians.”

“The United States, and all our institutions, should lead with absolute moral clarity in condemning terrorist violence in all circumstances and supporting the people of Israel as they take decisive action to defend their safety against unimaginable savagery,” Royals added. “We cannot afford to coddle ignorant and dangerous views with silence.”

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