The Unfolding Tragedy at the Israel-Gaza Border
The events that transpired on October 7th at the border between Israel and Gaza have left a profound impact on every human. There can be no justification for the actions of terrorists who infiltrate peaceful villages and kibbutzim at dawn, perpetrating acts of violence, arson, assault, and even the desecration of innocent bodies, while abducting grandmothers into the depths of Gaza.
Academic Institutions and Their Moral Stand
One might argue that there could be nothing more just than expressing compassion and sorrow, even going as far as standing in solidarity with those who grieve. This appears to fall in line with the tradition upheld by academic institutions that advocate for human rights and liberalism.
However, there is a palpable darkness of blindness that has descended upon Harvard University, considered an esteemed institution.
It all began with joint statements issued by Harvard’s Palestine solidarity groups on the situation in Palestine, stating,
“We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence. The apartheid regime is the only one to blame. Israeli violence has structured every aspect of Palestinian existence for 75 years. From systematized land seizures to routine airstrikes, arbitrary detentions to military checkpoints, and enforced family separations to targeted killings, Palestinians have been forced to live in a state of death, both slow and sudden.”
Harvard University’s administration failed miserably in managing this communication crisis, particularly in a statement released just two days after the tragedy, which led to a surge of public outrage against the institution. The outrage stemmed from the university’s failure to explicitly condemn Hamas. Harvard’s statement read:
“We write to you today heartbroken by the death and destruction unleashed by the attack by Hamas that targeted citizens in Israel this weekend, and by the war in Israel and Gaza now underway.”
Wexner Foundation’s Break from Harvard
This prompted the Wexner Foundation to cease donations to the university and terminate their programs at Harvard. Their letter read, “We are stunned and sickened at the dismal failure of Harvard’s leadership to take a clear and unequivocal stand against the barbaric murders of innocent Israeli civilians by terrorists last Saturday, the Sabbath and a festival day.”
The foundation’s disassociation from Harvard after 35 years of partnership is a significant blow to the institution that once hosted top Israeli dignitaries, including former ministers and members of Knesset, judges, senior officials, and officers.
The Domino Effect: Other Institutions and Donors React
The impact on the institution’s prestige was severe, as it included leaders who have contributed millions to the university over the years, such as the wealthy Ofer family. The backlash didn’t stop with donors. It also came from Israeli education centers like the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
In the subsequent stages, public anger wasn’t just directed at the institution’s tepid response, but also towards those who had signed the statement. The initial demand came from Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, an alumnus of Harvard. He called on Harvard to release the names of students who signed the divisive letter, claiming that publishing the names would allow future employers to make informed decisions about hiring these students.
Two prominent law firms in the United States even rescinded job offers to students from Harvard, Columbia, and New York University due to their statements criticizing Israel and expressing support for Palestinians.
The institution faced criticism from both the government and the public for its handling of the situation and its lack of condemnation and action against the offending students. Five Harvard Business School alumni including US Senator Mitt Romney and hedge fund manager Seth Klarman accused Harvard University of ignoring the safety of Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
Larry Hogan, the Governor of Maryland, announced in an open letter that he was canceling his participation in an upcoming seminar due to what he described as “deep-seated anti-Semitic roots within the institution.”
In a recent CNN Business article, concerns were raised that a “domino effect” might imperil institutions like Harvard and UPenn as donors who are dismayed by these institutions’ failure to align with the most relevant segment of Western society—the people of Israel—might redirect their contributions elsewhere.
However, the moral blow, perhaps the most painful of all, and as a turning point for progressivism, will be the issue of double standards.
The Larger Picture: Progressive Ideology on Trial
While the entire world, and the progressive movement in particular, has championed the sanctity of every ‘Black Lives Matter,’ it has failed to ‘convert’ to a simple truth of ‘Israeli Lives Matter.’
For years, the progressive ideology framed itself as the ultimate guardian against Nazism. The term “Nazis” became the linguistic currency to label almost any action contrary to their principles, including actions by President Trump such as border or immigration issues. They insisted that their ideology was necessary to prevent a slide into Nazism.
However, Hamas’s systematic execution of their ideology paralleled the actions of the SS death squads. They carried out murders without trials, set houses ablaze with occupants inside, and used gas (as evidenced by the bodies of terrorists). Yet when the progressive students of Harvard had the chance to raise their voices against a terror group committing acts akin to those of the Nazis, they didn’t condemn it but rather ended up defending a Nazi terrorist organization.
The guardians of the threshold against Nazism became its advocates, plunging into the moral abyss that they accused others of. As Black lives are considered valuable, Israeli lives must be valued as well.
Harvard’s Attempted Damage Control
In the latter part of the ongoing saga of how the crisis was handled, Harvard’s administration issued a formal statement, indicating that it would amplify its policy and establish a support mechanism for students who had suffered the consequences of signing the divisive letter but were still not finding any solace in the aftermath of these events or a sense of belonging within the campus.
However, it seems Harvard has not fully grasped the magnitude of the crisis it faces regarding its students, donors, and especially its American audience, which cannot and will not turn a blind eye to psychopathic acts carried out indiscriminately, without distinguishing between the guilty and the innocent. The indifference displayed by the institution and some of its students learning within it has cast a shadow on its prestigious reputation.
In my current role, I serve as the director of international relations and business development for the Netanya municipality in Israel, a city that absorbed over 4,000 refugees in one week, some of whom arrived with pajamas they wore that morning as they fled for their lives. My colleague, Shlomi Waroner, the CEO of the Netanya Foundation, has been working tirelessly over the past 15 years, raising over $50 million in donations for our city.
“You have no idea how many donors I’m in contact with have informed me that they are withdrawing their donations from universities and diverting them to Netanya to assist with refugee absorption,” he told me. “Donors have told me they will not be giving another cent to this institution or others that have behaved the way they have this time”
In 2022, Harvard University was ranked as having top levels of campus antisemitism. It seems that they are doing everything to maintain this “achievement” without reflecting on the moral crisis that they face in the eyes of their graduates, donors, and the American public. They cannot ignore the catastrophic events that bear a striking resemblance to a massacre. The atrocity of the terrorist acts should never go uncondemned, especially by an institution like Harvard, which has always been a symbol of liberty and the pursuit of justice.
Kobby Barda is a scholar at The Chaikin Chair for Geostrategy and senior fellow at the Haifa Laboratory for Religious Studies , is currently pursuing a Doctoral degree in American political history and International Relations at the University of Haifa, Israel.