Title: Harvard President Claudine Gay Rejects Calls to Punish Students Over Controversial Israel Statement
Published: October 12, 2023, at 11:29 p.m.
Harvard President Claudine Gay has vehemently condemned the actions of Hamas and refused to penalize or name students who co-signed a controversial statement holding Israel “entirely responsible” for the ongoing violence. In a video address titled “Our Choices,” Gay reiterated the university’s commitment to free expression while distancing it from the student group’s statement.
Gay emphasized that Harvard University embraces a commitment to free expression and would not seek to sanctions those who have criticized Israel. However, she made it clear that the university does not endorse views that many may find objectionable or outrageous.
The Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) released a statement on Saturday, co-signed by several student organizations, blaming the “apartheid regime” for the violence. The statement received swift backlash both on-campus and nationally, prompting members of Congress and former University President Lawrence H. Summers to criticize Harvard’s administration for not condemning the PSC’s statement.
In response, Gay, alongside 17 other university leaders, issued a statement to Harvard affiliates, which was criticized for not forcefully condemning Hamas and anti-Semitism. The following day, Gay released a second statement, condemning Hamas and distancing the university from the PSC statement.
Addressing the criticism, Gay pushed back against inflammatory statements that she believes further exacerbate the already volatile situation on campus. She urged for conversation, humility, understanding, and compassion in order to meet the challenges as a community.
Meanwhile, students affiliated with the organizations that initially signed the PSC statement became victims of numerous doxxing attacks throughout the week. Some organizations even removed their signatures from the statement. Multiple online platforms published the personal information of students associated with the clubs, leading to concerns of harassment and intimidation.
Prominent Harvard donor and hedge fund manager Bill A. Ackman called on the university to release a list of members affiliated with the statement, raising the issue of inadvertently hiring these students in the future. However, Gay and the university have not complied with this demand.
In her concluding remarks, Gay urged Harvard affiliates to respond to this challenging moment with grace and emphasized that how the community moves forward is a collective responsibility.
Staff writer Miles J. Herszenhorn can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @mherszenhorn or on Threads @mileshersz.
Staff writer Claire Yuan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @claireyuan33.
Note: The content in this article is based on the provided information and does not reflect the views or endorsements of the authors.