The Office of the Chaplain and Religious and Spiritual Life at Harvard University recently released a statement concerning an antisemitic protest staged outside of the area designated for Harvard Hillel, a Jewish student group. Protesters reportedly chanted, "Zionists aren't welcome here" and displayed signs with messages like "Harvard out of occupied Palestine," "divest," and "stop the genocide."
"We have noticed a trend of expression in which entire groups of students are told they 'are not welcome here' because of their religious, cultural, ethnic, or political commitments and identities, or are targeted through acts of vandalism," the statement reads. "We find this trend disturbing and anathema to the dialogue and connection across lines of difference that must be a central value and practice of a pluralistic institution of higher learning."
But as the statement fails to call out the antisemitism, Marie Fischer of Herut North America calls it weak.
"When you think about the last … year and a half, we've heard so much about what's going on in Harvard," she submits. "From the former president who couldn't admit that there was a problem with antisemitism in the protesters and the encampments, it's like they're trying to tone it down."
She thinks that is unfair to many students on campus.
"You're doing such a disservice to the Jewish students and other students who stand with Israel or stand with Jewish students because you're ignoring the hate that's going on," Fischer laments.
She concludes that "Harvard's got a very bad problem."
