The presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have come under fire for their responses during a congressional hearing on antisemitism. The hearing was held to address the handling of antisemitic incidents on college campuses.
During the hearing, the university presidents were questioned about their stance on calls for the genocide of Jews. Their responses, which were perceived as evasive, have sparked widespread backlash. The White House, along with several Jewish officials and leaders, have condemned the university presidents for their lack of clarity on the issue.
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president, criticized the university presidents for their lack of moral clarity on antisemitism. He emphasized the need to unequivocally condemn antisemitism and highlighted the difficulty many Jews in America face in celebrating Hanukkah due to the crisis of antisemitism.
Following the hearing, Harvard University's president apologized for failing to properly denounce threats of violence against Jewish students. Meanwhile, pressure is mounting for the University of Pennsylvania's president to resign over her testimony at the same hearing. The incident has led to discord at Harvard and a resignation from a committee on antisemitism.
The incident has also sparked a broader debate about free speech and antisemitism on college campuses. A recent poll found that a significant number of Jewish and non-Jewish college students have experienced or witnessed antisemitic incidents. The university presidents now face a congressional investigation after attempting to clean up their comments in the face of widespread backlash.
