Harvard President Faces Backlash for Her Testimony on Anti-Semitism on Campus

Harvard Jewish organization says testimony fails to reassure them that the university is seriously concerned about antisemitic rhetoric pervasive on campus.

Supporters of Palestine gather in Harvard Yard, Cambridge, Mass., on Oct. 14, 2023, a week after Hamas terrorists conducted the deadliest attack in Israeli history. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

A Harvard Jewish student organization has criticized Harvard’s president, Claudine Gay, for her testimony over anti-Semitism on campus following her hearing before Congress on Dec. 5. 

“When pressed during her testimony, President Gay repeatedly equivocated, refusing to characterize calls for the genocide of Jews as a breach of Harvard’s code of conduct, instead saying the offense ‘depends on the context,’” the Jewish student association Harvard Hillel said in its statement.

“President Gay’s refusal to draw a line around threatening antisemitic speech as a violation of Harvard’s policies is profoundly shocking given explicit provisions within the conduct code prohibiting this kind of bullying and harassment,” the student organization added.

The criticism came after Ms. Gay, alongside Liz Magill, president of the University of Pennsylvania, and Sally Kornbluth, president of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), testified before the Congress over campus anti-semitism on Dec. 5.

The hearing, titled “Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Anti-Semitism,” was called by chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

During the testimony, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) pressed Ms. Gay to answer whether “calling for the genocide of Jews and the elimination of Israel” violates Harvard’s codes of conduct.

“We embrace a commitment to free expression and give a wide berth to free expression even of views that are objectionable, outrageous and offensive,” Ms. Gay responded.

In its statement, the Harvard Hillel said, “A call for genocide against Jews is always a hateful incitement of violence. President Gay’s failure to properly condemn this speech calls into question her ability to protect Jewish students on Harvard’s campus.”

In addition, the Harvard Hillel noted that “Chants to ‘globalize the intifada,’ an endorsement of violent terrorist attacks against Jewish and Israeli civilians, and ‘from the river to the sea,’ an eliminationist slogan intended to deprive Jews of their right to self-determination in Israel, have become tragically routine at Harvard.”

The organization urged Harvard to take action against anti-Semitism on campus.

“President Gay’s testimony fails to reassure us that the University is seriously concerned about the antisemitic rhetoric pervasive on campus. We call on President Gay to take action against those using threatening speech that violates our community standards,” the organization said.

Harvard University has faced intense criticism since more than 30 of its student groups signed a letter blaming Israel for being “entirely responsible” for the Oct. 7 attack, when Hamas terrorists launched a surprise assault into Israel, killing over 1,200 civilians, including Americans.

While Dec. 5’s testimony was the fourth time the House has held regarding the campus anti-Semitism issue since Oct. 7, it was the first hearing to summon presidents of universities to testify.

“We have seen a dramatic and deeply concerning rise in antisemitism around the world, in the United States and on our campuses, including my own,” Ms. Gay said at the testimony. “I know many in our Harvard Jewish community are hurting.”

Ms. Stefanik, a Harvard alumnus, posted on X after the hearing. “At today' hearing, Harvard’s President shamefully refused to say whether the calling for the mass violence and genocide of the Jewish people is considered harassment or bullying according to Harvard’s own code of conduct,” Ms. Stefanik said. “Claudine Gay should resign immediately.”

This is not the first time Ms. Stefanik has called for Harvard president’s resignation. During a House hearing on “Confronting the Scourge of Anti-Semitism on Campus” on Nov. 14, Ms. Stefanik and other GOP Harvard graduates called on Ms. Gay to resign for “enabling” anti-Semitism on campuses.

Claudine Gay, President of Harvard University, testifies before the House Education and Workforce Committee at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington on Dec. 5, 2023. The Committee held a hearing to investigate antisemitism on college campuses. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, a Harvard alumnus and a vocal critic of colleges for their failed responses to campus anti-Semitism, posted on X following the testimony.

“The presidents’ answers reflect the profound educational, moral, and ethical failures that pervade certain of our elite educational institutions due in large part to their failed leadership.” Mr. Ackman said. “They must all resign in disgrace.”

During the hearing, Ms. Foxx told the three university presidents that the current rise of anti-Semitism “did not come out of nowhere. There are cultures at your universities that foster it.”

According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), from Oct. 7 to Nov. 7, one month after the war began, anti-Semitism on campus has increased by more than 10 times—from 12 cases in 2022 to 124 over the same period.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Ms. Gay for comment.