In the midst of ongoing allegations of anti-Semitism, Harvard University is now home to a pro-Palestinian group, comprising over 65 faculty members, who have publicly denounced the "unfolding genocide" in Gaza, as reported by Fox News Digital.
This development follows the recent congressional hearing where former President Claudine Gay was questioned about the university's lack of action against anti-Semitism. The issue of anti-Semitism in higher education institutions across the United States has been thrust into the limelight, particularly following the unexpected attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, which led to numerous colleges and universities expressing support for Palestinians.
On January 6, a statement was issued announcing the formation of a Harvard chapter of the Faculty for Justice in Palestine, a national network, by 67 faculty and staff members. The group called for Harvard to divest from Israel and "companies that sustain Israeli apartheid, settler colonialism, and systemic human rights abuses against Palestinians."
The group's members stated, "The unfolding genocide in Gaza cannot be disconnected from over 75 years of violent dispossession of the Palestinian people. The US government, media, and other institutions of knowledge production have long provided financial, military, moral, and political cover for the Israeli occupation and its colonial, racial violence."
They further criticized universities, including Harvard, for their role in perpetuating these structures of violence, accusing them of censoring, surveilling, and disciplining individuals critical of Israel.
The report also highlighted the actions of a student activist group at Harvard, Justice for Palestine, which organized anti-Israel protests following the October Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the brutal killing of approximately 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of another 240 into Gaza.
In response to these events, several Jewish students have initiated lawsuits against Harvard University, alleging a growing prevalence of "antisemitism cancer" on campus and accusing the institution of employing "professors who support anti-Jewish violence," according to Fox News Digital.
The Harvard Crimson reported that the FSJP statement criticized the Harvard administration for its consistent failure to protect targeted students or address numerous complaints of on-campus discrimination or bullying.
Lara Jirmanus, a Harvard Medical School instructor and signatory of the statement, stated in an interview that the group's intention was to stand behind the students." However, it remains unclear how the group's formation is serving to protect or advocate for Jewish students on campus.
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