Harvard weighs in on antisemitism controversy: supports president

 As uproar continues over university presidents' refusal to condemn calls for genocide of Jews, the Harvard Board issued a statement today to alumni supporting president Claudine Gay.

Dear Members of the Harvard Community, As members of the Harvard Corporation, we today reaffirm our support for President Gay’s continued leadership of Harvard University. Our extensive deliberations affirm our confidence that President Gay is the right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing. So many people have suffered tremendous damage and pain because of Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack, and the University’s initial statement should have been an immediate, direct, and unequivocal condemnation. Calls for genocide are despicable and contrary to fundamental human values. President Gay has apologized for how she handled her congressional testimony and has committed to redoubling the University’s fight against antisemitism. With regard to President Gay’s academic writings, the University became aware in late October of allegations regarding three articles. At President Gay’s request, the Fellows promptly initiated an independent review by distinguished political scientists and conducted a review of her published work. On December 9, the Fellows reviewed the results, which revealed a few instances of inadequate citation. While the analysis found no violation of Harvard’s standards for research misconduct, President Gay is proactively requesting four corrections in two articles to insert citations and quotation marks that were omitted from the original publications. In this tumultuous and difficult time, we unanimously stand in support of President Gay. At Harvard, we champion open discourse and academic freedom, and we are united in our strong belief that calls for violence against our students and disruptions of the classroom experience will not be tolerated. Harvard’s mission is advancing knowledge, research, and discovery that will help address deep societal issues and promote constructive discourse, and we are confident that President Gay will lead Harvard forward toward accomplishing this vital work. The Fellows of Harvard College Penny Pritzker, Senior Fellow Timothy R. Barakett, Treasurer Kenneth I. Chenault Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar Paul J. Finnegan Biddy Martin Karen Gordon Mills Diana L. Nelson Tracy P. Palandjian Shirley M. Tilghman Theodore V. Wells, Jr.

© 2023 The President and Fellows of Harvard College | Harvard.edu Harvard University | Cambridge, MA 02138

Last week, Gay would not explicitly condemn calls to kill Jews when questioned by New York Rep. Elise Stefanick, a Republican,  during a House hearing.

“At Harvard, does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvard’s rules of bullying and harassment?” Stefanik asked.

“It can be, depending on the context,” Gay answered.

Gay's lukewarm response was similar to the careful but tepid answers from the presidents of  the University of Pennsylvani and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. That spurred demands from Democrats and Republicans, large donors and some students  for their resignations. The controversy even spurred a skit on Saturday Night Live.

The UPenn president and UPenn Board Chairman subsequently resigned. 

Nassau legis. Mazi Pilip of Great Neck, a former Israeli paratrooper who is considered a leading candidate to run against former U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi for the Third Congressional District seat vacated by George Santos, issued a statement Sunday supporting the university president's resignation.

Mazi Pilip

“As a refugee who knows the terror of having to hide my Jewish faith for fear of anti-Semitism, I am disgusted at the anti-Jewish and anti-Israel hatred that is on display on many college campuses, often with the tacit support of college administrators. The resignation of University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill is a necessary first step in the fight against anti-Semitism at some of our nation’s colleges.  

        My family and I were able to immigrate to Israel during Operation Solomon, freeing us from the fear of anti-Semitism.  Subsequently, my husband and I came the United States, and we choose to raise our seven children here because we embrace the freedom and the acceptance of all people in this country.  The recent wave of hatred that has been tolerated, and even nurtured on many college campuses, is disgusting and worrisome.  There are other key college administrators who also must be held accountable for their statements and lack of action in protecting Jewish students and all students from the current climate of hatred"

Many saw Pilip's statement as an indication that the Nassau Republican party would nominate her to run against Suozzi, though no official anouncments has been made.

Tom Suozzi

Waiting to see if Pilip has any response to the Harvard Board's decision to support Gay.

Pilip and Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman last month called for Hofstra University President Susan Poser to resign when she did not condemn Hamas after the terrorist group massacred more than 1,000 Israeli civilians and seized more than 100 people, including babies, toddlers and grandmothers as hostages.

Poser said, ""There is a complex history and conflicting views about the causal underpinnings of the current crisis."

While there are reports that students also have called for Poser's resignation, the Hofstra Board has supported the president.

Although Suozzi has not apparently commented specifically on the University Presidents' controversy, the Jewish Insider quoted him in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack:

“I have always stood with Israel. Today I am asking you to stay united with Israel in the difficult days, months, and years ahead… Now is the time for America and the global community to redouble our commitment to Israel, employing every means necessary to dismantle Iran-backed Hamas, and put an end to their reign of terror. Our support must be unequivocal.” Suozzi said.