The presidents of three major U.S. universities refused to say whether calling for the genocide of Jews is against the codes of conduct at their schools.
Harvard University President Claudine Gay, University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth appeared Tuesday before the House Education and Workforce Committee during a public hearing on combating antisemitism on college campuses after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., asked each president if calling for the genocide of Jews violated her school's bullying or harassment policies on the campus.
Each president refused to answer directly.
"It is a context-dependent decision," a smiling Magill said.
"It's a 'context-dependent decision?' That's your testimony? Calling for the genocide of Jews is dependent upon on the context? That is not bullying or harassment? This is the easiest question to answer 'yes,' Ms. Magill," Stefanik said.
"If the speech becomes conduct, it can be harassment," Magill said.
"Conduct meaning committing the act of genocide? The speech is not harassment?" Stefanik replied.
Stefanik, a Harvard graduate, asked Gay if she believed calling for the genocide of Jews "is contrary to Harvard's code of conduct or is it allowed at Harvard?"
"It is at odds with the value of Harvard, but we embrace a commitment to free expression even of views that are objectionable, offensive, hateful," Gay responded.
Stefanik asked Kornbluth if calling for the genocide of Jews violated MIT's code of conduct.
"I have not heard calling for the genocide of Jews on our campus," Kornbluth said.
"But you've heard chants for Intifada," said Stefanik, referring to the Palestinian method of calling for a civil uprising.
"I heard chants which can be antisemitic depending on the context when calling for the elimination if the Jewish people," Kornbluth said.
Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., the committee chair, said during the hearing that the universities "have largely stood by, allowing horrific rhetoric to fester and grow" with "countless examples of antisemitic demonstrations on college campuses."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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