{"id":2119320,"date":"2023-12-07T22:32:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T03:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/their-statements-were-abhorrent-backlash-to-harvard-penn-mit-presidents-on-anti-semitism-continues-even-after-they-backtrack\/"},"modified":"2023-12-07T22:37:10","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T03:37:10","slug":"their-statements-were-abhorrent-backlash-to-harvard-penn-mit-presidents-on-anti-semitism-continues-even-after-they-backtrack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/their-statements-were-abhorrent-backlash-to-harvard-penn-mit-presidents-on-anti-semitism-continues-even-after-they-backtrack\/","title":{"rendered":"Backlash persists as Harvard, Penn, MIT presidents backtrack on abhorrent statements"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftheir-statements-were-abhorrent-backlash-to-harvard-penn-mit-presidents-on-anti-semitism-continues-even-after-they-backtrack%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2119320&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The Presidents of Prestigious Schools Face\u200c Backlash for Testimony on Anti-Semitism<\/h2>\n<p>The presidents\u2064 of three prestigious schools are facing criticism after their recent\u2062 congressional testimony on anti-Semitism. Despite their attempts to backtrack, the backlash continues.<\/p>\n<p>The presidents of Harvard\u2062 University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and\u2062 the University of Pennsylvania testified before Congress\u2062 about the rise of\u2064 anti-Semitic hate speech on their campuses.<\/p>\n<p>During the hearing, all three presidents avoided directly answering whether calling for the genocide \u2062of Jews violated their universities&#8217; codes of conduct.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIt can be, depending on the context,\u201d said Harvard\u2019s president Claudine \u2063Gay. She emphasized that hate speech is\u200b \u201cat odds with the values of Harvard\u201d \u2064and that when it crosses into conduct, it \u200cviolates their policies.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>MIT\u2019s president, Sally Kornbluth, stated, \u201cI have\u2064 not heard calling for the genocide of Jews on\u2063 our campus.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth Magill, the president of the University of Pennsylvania, added, \u201cIf the\u2064 speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment,\u201d emphasizing that it is a context-dependent decision.<\/p>\n<p>Their \u2064testimonies\u200b prompted \u200dbillionaire hedge fund founder and Harvard alumnus Bill Ackman to call for their resignation, stating that \u2062they should \u201cresign\u2062 in\u2064 disgrace.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In response, White \u200dHouse spokesman Andrew Bates issued a statement condemning\u2063 calls for genocide, saying they are \u200d\u201cmonstrous and antithetical to everything we represent as a country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>House Majority Leader\u200c Steve Scalise also called for the presidents to resign, \u2062criticizing their hypocrisy.<\/p>\n<p>In a video released later, Magill addressed the criticism, acknowledging her failure to fully condemn the call for genocide. She described it as evil and expressed regret\u2064 for not focusing\u2064 on the gravity of the issue during her testimony.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1700760801843000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG\">CLICK HERE TO GET\u2062 THE DAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<h3>Continued Criticism and Calls for\u2062 Resignation<\/h3>\n<p>Despite their attempts to clarify\u200c their positions, the presidents are still facing criticism from various sources.<\/p>\n<p>Lawmakers from both Republican\u200c and Democrat parties, journalists, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/minneapolis-dems-buying-influence-online-to-shape-public-opinion-ahead-of-trial-of-officer-accused-in-floyd-death\/\" title=\"Minneapolis Dems buying influence online to shape public opinion ahead of trial of officer accused in Floyd death\">social media influencers<\/a>, and others continue to criticize the schools and their leadership.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Kirsten Gillibrand expressed her belief that the presidents \u200dshould resign, stating\u200d that their statements\u200c were abhorrent and that they are failing as college presidents.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Democrat Senator Kirsten\u200d Gillibrand says presidents of Harvard, MIT, and UPenn should resign: &#8220;Their statements were abhorrent.&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/baRTYByQ1R\">pic.twitter.com\/baRTYByQ1R<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 TheBlaze (@theblaze) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/theblaze\/status\/1732812648960381267?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 7, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Journalist Bari Weiss highlighted the inconsistency in how certain\u2062 speech is treated at Harvard, \u200cposting, \u200c\u201cAt \u2063Harvard, \u2018fatphobia\u2019 constitutes violence. But \u2018globalize the intifada\u2019 requires context.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">At Harvard, &#8220;fatphobia&#8221; constitutes violence.<br \/>But &#8220;globalize the \u200bintifada&#8221; requires context.<\/p>\n<p>WATCH: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tEvg9IVVXS\">pic.twitter.com\/tEvg9IVVXS<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Bari Weiss\u200c (@bariweiss) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/bariweiss\/status\/1732774984173474208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December\u200b 7, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Representative Elise Stefanik called \u2062for the immediate dismissal of the presidents, stating that their failure to firmly condemn the calls for genocide is unacceptable.<\/p>\n<p>On social media, \u200bmany users are urging employers not to hire graduates from these schools.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The abhorrent calls for \u200bthe genocide of the Jewish community are reprehensible. It is unacceptable that presidents of esteemed institutions like <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Harvard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Harvard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MIT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@MIT<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Penn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Penn<\/a> have not firmly condemned this hatred. Their failure to do so warrants\u2062 their \u200cimmediate dismissal from their\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EliseStefanik\/status\/1732842335405211666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 7, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How did the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and\u200d UPenn defend their testimony in regards to free speech and academic freedom \u2064on \u200dcampus<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Atic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also voiced her disappointment in the presidents&#8217; testimony. She tweeted, \u201cThe presidents of Harvard, MIT, and\u2064 UPenn \u2064had an opportunity\u200c to unequivocally condemn hate speech \u2064and\u200b call for zero tolerance. They failed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Journalists \u200dand\u2064 social media influencers have shared similar\u2063 sentiments, emphasizing the need for university leaders \u2062to take \u200ca stronger stance against anti-Semitism.\u2062 Many argue that by not explicitly \u2063condemning\u200b hate speech and calls for genocide, the\u2063 presidents \u2063are condoning and normalizing such behavior on their campuses.<\/p>\n<h3>Defending their Testimony<\/h3>\n<p>Despite the \u200bmounting criticism, the presidents have defended their testimony, citing the complexities surrounding free speech and academic freedom on\u2062 campus.<\/p>\n<p>They argue that while they do not\u2062 condone hate\u2062 speech or anti-Semitism, they must navigate a fine line between supporting freedom of expression and maintaining a safe and inclusive \u2064environment\u200b for\u200b all students.<\/p>\n<p>Harvard President Claudia\u200b Gay released\u2064 a statement \u2062after the backlash, reiterating the university&#8217;s commitment to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/google-meta-win-court-fight-against-austrian-online-content-rule\/\" title=\"Google, Meta win court fight against Austrian online content rule\">combating hate \u2062speech<\/a> and promoting inclusivity. \u200dShe acknowledged\u200b the need for clearer guidelines \u200con how to address hate speech that crosses into\u200b conduct, \u200band pledged\u2064 to work towards\u2064 better policies.<\/p>\n<p>Mit&#8217;s President \u2062Sally Kornbluth also defended her testimony, stating that the\u200b university takes all allegations \u200cof hate speech seriously and \u2062investigates any reports. She emphasized the importance \u2064of contextualizing \u200dspeech within the boundaries of conduct to ensure a\u2062 fair and balanced approach.<\/p>\n<p>Elizabeth Magill of the University\u2063 of Pennsylvania echoed similar\u200d sentiments, asserting that the \u200bissue of hate \u200dspeech and its consequences require careful examination and consideration. She promised\u200c to work \u2064closely with students, faculty, and staff to improve the university&#8217;s\u2064 response to\u2062 hate speech incidents.<\/p>\n<h3>Addressing the \u2062Backlash<\/h3>\n<p>Under mounting pressure, the \u200dpresidents have taken additional steps to address the backlash and\u200c reflect on their testimonies.<\/p>\n<p>In a \u2064joint statement,\u200c the presidents of Harvard,\u2062 MIT,\u200d and the University of Pennsylvania expressed their commitment\u2063 to creating a\u2062 more inclusive\u200b and welcoming environment on their campuses.\u2064 They affirmed\u2064 that they denounce all forms of hate speech and will continue \u200dto work towards strengthening their policies and response protocols.<\/p>\n<p>They acknowledged that the issue of anti-Semitism is of utmost importance\u2064 and expressed \u200ctheir \u200cregret \u2062for not emphasizing this during their testimonies. They vowed\u2062 to actively engage with the \u200cJewish\u2064 community on their campuses and implement measures to better\u2063 address instances of hate speech.<\/p>\n<h3>Moving Forward<\/h3>\n<p>As the presidents of these prestigious schools face ongoing backlash, it is clear that their testimony has \u200cbrought to the forefront the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/upenn-faces-donor-exodus-over-israel-hamas-war-and-pro-palestine-writing-event\/\" title=\"UPenn loses donors due to Israel-Hamas conflict and pro-Palestine event.\">challenges universities \u200cface<\/a> in addressing hate speech and \u2063anti-Semitism.<\/p>\n<p>While\u200d the presidents have attempted to clarify their positions\u200b and address the criticism, they must now work closely\u200b with their respective communities to rebuild\u2063 trust and ensure \u2063that their \u2063campuses remain safe\u2064 and inclusive for all students. This will require a thorough assessment of their policies and guidelines,\u2063 as well as\u2062 open and transparent dialogue with students, faculty, staff, and external\u200d stakeholders.<\/p>\n<p>Addressing hate \u200cspeech and anti-Semitism is a collective \u200dresponsibility, and it is crucial for university leaders to lead\u200d by example\u200d and \u200dtake a strong stance against such behavior.\u2062 It is\u200b only\u2064 through concerted efforts that these prestigious schools can truly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/musk-warns-of-twitter-bankruptcy-as-senior-executives-quit\/\" title=\"Musk Warns of Twitter Bankruptcy as Senior Executives Quit\">combat hate speech<\/a> and foster\u200b a culture of\u200c inclusivity\u200b and respect.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Three esteemed school presidents face criticism despite backtracking on their congressional testimony regarding anti-Semitism. Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania presidents testified about the surge in anti-Semitic hate speech, but the backlash continues<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":2119321,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2119320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2119320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2119320"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2119320\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2119321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2119320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2119320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2119320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}