Questioned about conniving at anti-Semitism, the presidents of three universities including Harvard University in the United States were questioned in the House of Representatives on the 6th. At the meeting, there was friction between members of the U.S. Congress and the principal over whether to shield the students involved, and the smell of gunpowder spread outside the hearing.
CNN said on 6** that the presidents of Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania attended a hearing on the same day to be questioned about the "anti-Semitism" issue on campus after being subpoenaed by the Education and Workforce Committee of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress. The hearing lasted five hours.
Harvard University President Gay is questioned in the House of Representatives. Source: Foreign media.
According to the New York Times, all three principals said they were shocked by anti-Semitism and were taking action against it on campus. "When asked if they support Israel's right to exist, they answered 'yes' in no uncertain terms. According to CNN, the principals also said they have also seen an uptick in Muslim hate incidents on campus and are working to combat them.
When it came to the question of whether or not to harbor students who participated in "anti-Semitic" activities, the smell of gunpowder was very strong at the hearings. CNN reported that New York State Republican Congressman Stephanik asked Harvard President Guy whether he would discipline students who made "hate speech" in **. Guy twice replied with "our commitment to free speech," much to the displeasure of questioners.
The New York Times reported that Stephanik also had an altercation with Magill, president of the University of Pennsylvania. Stefanik asked, "Is calling for genocide against Jews a violation of Penn rules or code of conduct?."Magill replied: "If speech turns into behavior, it can amount to harassment." Stephanik then questioned again, to which Magill replied that it would depend on the circumstances. Hearing this, Stephanik exclaimed, "This is your testimony today?".Does the call for genocide of the Jews depend on the circumstances?”
University of Pennsylvania President Magill was questioned in the House of Representatives Source: Foreign media.
The White House issued a statement on the 6th, saying: "Any statement advocating the systematic killing of Jews is dangerous and offensive - we should firmly oppose these statements." The Washington Post argued that while it did not mention the hearings, the statement appeared to implicitly criticize the university for not condemning the "anti-Semitic" rhetoric and incidents on campus more strongly.
According to the New York Times, Magill is on the cusp of a lengthy dispute with members of Congress. According to US media reports, Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro denounced Magil's remarks as "shameful" and "unacceptable". He even went so far as to shout directly to the Penn board that a "serious decision" should be made about Magill's performance. As of June 6, more than 1,500 Penn alumni, patrons, and students have demanded the president's resignation. The CEO of Pfizer in the United States, Albert Albert, lashed out at the three principals on social media. Business Insider reported that he called it "one of the most shameful moments in the history of American academia."
On the evening of the 6th, Magill apologized for her testimony. According to the Financial Times, Magill was wrong to say he had taken an overly legal approach when answering questions. Guy also issued a statement, saying, "Let me be clear: calling for violence or genocide against the Jewish community or any religious or ethnic group is despicable, and they have no place at Harvard." ”
According to Qatar's Al Jazeera, late on the 6th, the Palestinian Solidarity Committee of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania's anti-occupation student organization, and several other Jewish groups issued a joint statement saying that they strongly opposed the assertion of supporting Palestine as "anti-Semitic" and criticized the hearings for not really combating "anti-Semitism". Harvard's Palestinian Solidarity Committee also strongly condemned the hearing on Instagram, saying it was an attempt to divert attention from the Gaza genocide and saying "we will not be silent."
CNN said that since the outbreak of the new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, tensions on college campuses across the United States have increased. In recent weeks, there have been hundreds** of activity on college campuses, some of which have even turned violent. The U.S. Department of Education has launched an unprecedented number of investigations into hate incidents on college campuses, with Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and six other universities, as well as four K-12 school districts, under investigation.
*: Global Times-Global ** Appointment Reporter Liu Haoran Wen Jian.
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