Why University Presidents Struggled to Condemn Antisemitism Alone

It has been well established at this point that the performances of the presidents of three elite American institutions of higher education who testified in front of the House Education and Workforce Committee on Tuesday — Harvard University’s Claudine Gay, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sally Kornbluth, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Liz Magill — were shameful. Much has and will be made of the presidents’ newfound deference to free expression, of the smirk Magill wore on her face when telling Representative Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) that whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” constitutes bullying or harassment is “context-dependent,” and of Gay’s refusal to answer the same question after being given ample opportunities to do so.

Gone largely unaddressed in most coverage was the presidents’ downplaying of antisemitism as a unique issue on college campuses and one distinct from other forms of hatred or other ills plaguing higher education. In Gay’s opening statement, she said the October 7 attack on Israel had been followed by a rising tide of antisemitism — and Islamophobia. As part of her plan for combating antisemitism on her campus, she said, she will “implement a robust program of education and training for students, faculty, and staff on antisemitism and Islamophobia” (emphasis added). Harvard Business School, she bragged to the committee, has launched a working group on antisemitism — and Islamophobia and anti-Arabism. She “will continue to mobilize [her] full authority as president to confront antisemitism,” she said, as well as “Islamophobia and other forms of hate.”

About the Author

Zach Kessel

Zach Kessel was a William F. Buckley Jr. Fellow in Political Journalism and a recent graduate of Northwestern University.

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It has been well established at this point that the performances of the presidents of three elite American institutions of higher education who testified in front of the House Education and Workforce Committee on Tuesday — Harvard University’s Claudine Gay, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sally Kornbluth, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Liz Magill — were shameful. Much has and will be made of the presidents’ newfound deference to free expression, of the smirk Magill wore on her face when telling Representative Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) that whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” constitutes bullying or harassment is “context-dependent,” and of Gay’s refusal to answer the same question after being given ample opportunities to do so.

Gone largely unaddressed in most coverage was the presidents’ downplaying of antisemitism as a unique issue on college campuses and one distinct from other forms of hatred or other ills plaguing higher education. In Gay’s opening statement, she said the October 7 attack on Israel had been followed by a rising tide of antisemitism — and Islamophobia. As part of her plan for combating antisemitism on her campus, she said, she will “implement a robust program of education and training for students, faculty, and staff on antisemitism and Islamophobia” (emphasis added). Harvard Business School, she bragged to the committee, has launched a working group on antisemitism — and Islamophobia and anti-Arabism. She “will continue to mobilize [her] full authority as president to confront antisemitism,” she said, as well as “Islamophobia and other forms of hate.”