Harvard President Issues Apology Amid Escalating Campus Antisemitism

Harvard University President Alan Garber issued a long-overdue apology this week for the institution’s failure to confront rising antisemitism on campus an admission that comes after a year marred by protests, hostility, and moral cowardice in the wake of the October 7 Hamas terror attacks.

“The 2023–24 academic year was disappointing and painful,” Garber wrote in a letter to the university community. “I am sorry for the moments when we failed to meet the high expectations we rightfully set.”

Garber’s apology followed the release of two highly scrutinized reports from task forces he created in January: one on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias, and another on anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian sentiment. While both were framed in the usual bureaucratic language of “tolerance” and “representation,” only one group Jewish students has seen real and sustained threats to their safety on campus.

What makes this apology ring hollow is Harvard’s own record of complicity. The co-chair of the antisemitism task force, Derek Penslar, has a history of anti-Israel rhetoric, including signing a letter accusing Israel of “apartheid.” That’s the person trusted to combat antisemitism?

Meanwhile, it took national outrage, congressional hearings, and a multibillion-dollar Trump administration funding freeze to force the university to even pretend to care.

Key points from the report rollout include:

• Recommendations to tighten disciplinary policies surrounding antisemitism.

• Plans to fill roles at the long-underfunded Center for Jewish Studies.

• Pushes for more "representation" and advisory committees in the Muslim-focused task force a stark contrast in tone and priority.

And let’s not forget how Harvard got here. Claudine Gay, the former president, resigned in disgrace after refusing to say whether calling for the genocide of Jews violated Harvard’s code of conduct and after being exposed for serial plagiarism. Garber inherited a mess, but his attempts to smooth it over with hollow gestures aren’t fooling anyone.

The double standards are glaring. While antisemitic rhetoric and outright harassment run rampant on elite campuses, administrators wring their hands and form task forces instead of taking action. The moment conservative voices raise concerns, however, you can bet suspensions, firings, and full-scale investigations come fast and furious.

Harvard’s damage control now includes a lawsuit against the Trump administration, hoping to regain access to frozen federal funds. But as long as the university continues to treat Jewish safety as just another checkbox on its DEI checklist, don’t expect public trust to return anytime soon.

If universities won’t stand up for the safety and dignity of all students including Jews then they shouldn’t receive a dime of taxpayer money.

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