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The Israel-Hamas war, which is intensifying with each passing day, has ignited tensions in many university campuses across the United States. Two universities in particular - Harvard and UPenn (University of Pennsylvania) have been in the spotlight for rising antisemitism on campus after the war started on October 7.

Last Tuesday (Dec 5), lawmakers launched an investigation into antisemitism at Harvard, UPenn, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) over whether student protests calling for the genocide of Jews amounted to harassment.

Harvard President Claudine Gay, UPenn President Liz Magill who resigned later, and MIT President Sally Kornbluth were grilled during a hearing in the House of Representatives on whether pro-Palestinian student activists calling for "Jewish genocide" violated their codes of conduct on harassment, but all three equivocated, claiming it would depend on the context.

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Also read: University of Pennsylvania president steps down amid antisemitism backlash on campus

The trio gave long, legalistic, and seemingly evasive answers at the hearing.

Since the conflict started, hate crimes targeting Jews and Muslims also increased in the US. With tensions spreading in universities, a broader debate has taken place about the boundaries between freedom of speech and deeply offensive, even inflammatory language.

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The criticism and calls to resign

Harvard

The presidents of all three universities (Harvard, MIT, and UPenn) were severely criticised over the antisemitism row. According to a report by the news agency AFP, donors at Harvard called for President Claudine Gay to offer more explicit support for Israel and condemnation of student groups who have voiced support for the Palestinian people. 

There were also calls for Gay to step down from the top post. Last Tuesday, Gay testified before the House Education Committee at a hearing dedicated to holding campus leaders accountable for antisemitic incidents.

At the hearing, Republican lawmaker Elise Stefanik likened student calls for a new intifada to inciting "genocide against the Jewish people in Israel and globally." 

When Stefanik asked Gay if such calls would violate the university's code of conduct, the Harvard president replied, "We embrace a commitment to free expression even of views that are objectionable, offensive, hateful. When speech crosses into conduct that violates our policies, including policies against bullying, harassment or intimidation, we take action."

Also read: Explained | Islamophobia, antisemitism, Xenophobia: The many faces of hate in the US

The Republican lawmaker called on Gay to immediately resign while Republican Senator Ted Cruz called the comments "disgraceful." Two days later, Gay apologised for her remarks.

"What I should have had the presence of mind to do in that moment was return to my guiding truth, which is that calls for violence against our Jewish community -- threats to our Jewish students -- have no place at Harvard, and will never go unchallenged," she told The Harvard Crimson.

UPenn

Last Saturday, UPenn's President Liz Magill voluntarily tendered her resignation following her criticism during Tuesday's hearing. On Tuesday, Stefanik asked the same question to Magill if the calling of genocide violated university rules or codes of conduct, Magill said, "If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment, yes."

"I am asking, specifically calling for the genocide of Jews, does that constitute bullying or harassment?" the Republican lawmaker pressed on.

"If it is directed and severe, pervasive, it is harassment," Magill said.

"So the answer is yes," Stefanik queried.

Also read: NYU students seen tearing down posters of young Israeli children kidnapped by Hamas. Watch!

"It is a context-dependent decision, congresswoman," Magill responded.

After hearing similar answers from others, Stefanik told Magill, "It does not depend on the context. The answer is yes, and this is why you should resign."

Though she stepped down, Magill would stay in her post until an interim president was appointed and would remain on the faculty of the university's law school.

Apart from Magill, UPenn's board of trustees Scott Bok also announced his resignation.

MIT

Just like her counterparts at Harvard and UPenn, MIT President Sally Kornbluth faced calls to quit following last Tuesday's hearing. During the hearing, Kornbluth, the only Jewish university president to testify, said, "I know some Israeli and Jewish students feel unsafe on campus.”

"As they bear the horror of the Hamas attacks and the history of antisemitism, these students have been pained by chants in recent demonstrations,” she said.

Later in the hearing, Kornbluth also advocated for increased Holocaust education as an antidote to antisemitism.

A report by the Times of Israel said that at MIT, critics from both sides of the Israel-Palestine debate went after Kornbluth for partially suspending students who participated in a disruptive pro-Palestinian protest on campus. However, her action was not a topic of discussion during the hearing.

“The MIT administration, namely President Sally Kornbluth, has failed to address the crisis of rampant antisemitism on campus,” Jewish MIT graduate student Talia Khan told the publication.

(With inputs from agencies)