Aviva Fried (US correspondent) / Photo credit: MARK SCHIEFELBEIN / AP
The American Congress has held hearings with various presidents of prestigious universities such as Harvard and MIT, on a thorny issue: “endemic” anti-Semitism on American campuses, in which certain students have been engaged in Jewish hunts since the 7 october. Public outcry after the remarks of the president of the University of Pennsylvania.
“Calls for genocide of Jews do not necessarily run counter to University of Pennsylvania policy.” Public outcry after his remarks made by its president, heard by the American Congress after complaints from students of Jewish faiths, victims of a growing anti-Semitic climate in American faculties. And she’s not the only one. The president of Harvard as well as that of the prestigious MIT were heard this week on what Congress describes as “endemic anti-Semitism” on campuses.
Faced with the reactions aroused by these remarks, Elizabeth Magill, the president of the University of Pennsylvania, submitted her resignation, only four days after her disastrous hearing. Four days during which indignation and anger only grew. His failure to define calls for Jewish genocides as harassment has been widely condemned by politicians of all stripes, alumni and donors. One threatened to withhold a planned $100 million donation. Liz Magill had however published a video on social networks, to try to limit the damage.
Other presidents in the spotlight
“I was focused on our university’s policy, which says that mere speech cannot be punished. I didn’t focus, but should have, on the fact that calling for the genocide of Jews is a call for one of the worst violences that humans can perpetrate,” she flatly justified herself. Lost effort, Liz Magill had to resign, as did the president of the board of directors.
Because the anti-Semitic atmosphere that reigns on campus is such that two Jewish students decided to attack the University of Pennsylvania, accused of having become an incubator of hatred towards Jews. And the resignation of its leaders is a strong signal, also sent to other universities. Even if for the moment, the presidents of Harvard and MIT, in the hot seat, for the same reasons, remain in their posts.