But he and others questioned the masters’ wisdom in signing a petition that created “an atmosphere of suspicion and discomfort in their Houses.”

At last week’s study break, Summers stressed the need for the University to be supportive of the Masters’ rights to free speech.

“I think a community like this one has to bend over backwards to be prepared to support the value of free speech and to recognize that individuals will hold views that will be disturbing and troubling to others,” Summers said.

But speaking personally, Summers said he understood students’ discomfort.

“The suggestion that defense against terrorist attacks is inherently immoral seems to me to be an unsupportable one,” Summers said. “It would be one I would be acutely uncomfortable with.”

Najeeb N. Khoury, a Harvard Law student who helped organize the pro-divestment petition, defended the campaign’s motives.

“This campaign is clear that it is anti-occupation, not anti-semitic,” Khoury said. “There’s no reason why any individual who is Jewish or a supporter of Israel should be offended by this campaign.”

Khoury also responded to the criticism that the divestment petition did not mention peace as its central goal.

“I think we feel that it’s self-evident that peace will come with the end of occupation,” Khoury said.

The pro-divestment petition can be read online at www.harvardmitdivest.org. The anti-divestment petition can be found at www.harvardmitjustice.org.

—Staff writer David H. Gellis can be reached at gellis@fas.harvard.edu.