Several university leaders faced mounting pressure during a House hearing regarding rising antisemitism as politicians and others piled question after question.
On Wednesday, support for the presidents of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and MIT quickly deteriorated after seemingly avoiding answering the question of whether or not they would discipline students who were calling out for the genocide of Jews.
House Hearing Over School Antisemitism
The university leaders' lawyer replies to the simple question and other inquiries during a four-hour hearing drew incredulous responses. A spokesman for the White House, Andrew Bates said that it was unbelievable that the fact needs to be said that calls for genocide are monstrous.
The Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro said that he found the responses of the president of the University of Pennsylvania Elizabeth Magill "unacceptable." Laurence Tribe even agreed with Rep. Elise Stefanik who sharply criticized Harvard President Claudine Gay.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tribe, a Harvard law professor, wrote that while he was not a fan of Stefanik, he supported her stance. He added that Gay's hesitant, formulaic, and evasive replies were troubling to him and many of his colleagues, students, and friends, as per the New York Times.
During the university leaders' opening remarks and throughout the hearing, they said that they were appalled by antisemitism and were taking action against it on campus. When they were asked whether or not they supported the right of Israel to exist, they answered yes, without equivocation.
However, when asked about disciplining students regarding statements made about genocide, they attempted to give lawyerly responses to a tricky question that involves free speech. Supporters of academic freedom said that this is legally correct.
On the other hand, many Jewish students, alumni, and donors who watched campus pro-Palestinian protests, the statements failed to meet the political moment. They argued that the school leaders did not speak clearly and forcefully against antisemitism.
Condemning Calls for Genocides
In a social media post, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that he was "ashamed" to hear the school leaders' testimony during the hearing. He called it "one of the most despicable moments in the history of U.S. academia," according to CNN.
Shapiro also called for the UPenn board of trustees to meet and discuss whether or not Magill's testimony represents the values of the university and board. On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that calls for genocide at universities were "unacceptable."
Marc Rowan, a private equity billionaire, wrote a message to Penn trustees where he said he had heard from hundreds of alumni, parents, and leaders shocked by the hearing. It included at least one who hoped that the hearing was fake.
Bates noted that the world bore witness to the "worst massacre suffered by the Jewish people since the Holocaust." He added that the latest atrocities in a genocidal pattern go back thousands of years. According to NBC News, he said that Joe Biden had demonstrated moral clarity regarding the issue.
