WHILE Trump's administration is busy cracking down on students sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, Megha Vemuri, an Indian-American student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT), used the graduation ceremony address to call out the institute’s ties with the Israeli military.
During the graduation ceremony of the Class of 2025 on Thursday (29), the class president accused MIT of disregarding the calls by the students to end collaborations with Israeli defense institutions.
Sporting a keffiyeh, a traditional symbol of Palestinian solidarity, Vemuri referred to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as “genocide" and claimed that Israel is the only foreign military with which MIT has active research ties.
Vemuri, pursuing a dual degree in Computer Science + Neuroscience and Linguistics, lauded the students for their protests against MIT's links with the Israeli military and attacked the authorities for trying to suppress the agitation.
She has been active in social justice circles and championed causes related to justice, identity, and global responsibility.
Comparing the festive atmosphere at MIT's graduation ceremony with Gaza, she remarked, “Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza."
The speech triggered a mixed reaction with some graduates responding with chants of “Free, Free Palestine!" and waving flags, while others remained silent.
Vemuri transformed the graduation stage into a platform for protest and challenged the policies of one of the most prestigious institutions in the US.
MIT has not publicly responded to the content of her speech or the status of its research affiliations with Israeli institutions.
The Trump administration has enacted massive funding cuts for academic research and plans to hike taxes on elite schools.
Trump has been alleging that top US universities are cradles of anti-semitism and anti-American movements.
Attacking Harvard University, he recently wrote on Truth Social: “I am considering taking Three Billion Dollars of Grant Money away from a very antisemitic Harvard, and giving it to TRADE SCHOOLS all across our land. What a great investment that would be for the USA, and so badly needed!!!”
A Palestinian boy carrying a bag over his shoulder walks through a heavily damaged street in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 31, 2026. Hamas said on July 31, 2026, it had agreed to a deal announced by the US president to end its war with Israel, which includes it handing over its weapons to a Palestinian governing committee and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Getty Images
Protesters trample on photographs of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump, along with Israeli and U.S. flags during a rally in Caracas on July 24, 2026, protesting the presence and influence of the United States and Israel in the country, one month after the June 24 earthquakes. Recovering from the earthquakes in Venezuela will take years, the Red Cross said on July 24, one month on from the June 24 disaster that killed more than 5,000 people. Getty Images
