The Israel-Hamas war has left college campuses in the U.S. bitterly split, and on Tuesday, Dec. 5, Congress held a hearing questioning several university presidents on what actions they’re taking to combat rising antisemitism on their campuses. This included Harvard president Claudine Gay, MIT president Sally Kornbluth, and University of Pennsylvania president Elizabeth Magill. Lawmakers with the House Committee on Education and the Workforce posed tough questions to the presidents, and the hearing put the debate over free speech on college campuses on full display.
The three presidents, who are all relatively new to their roles, underscored the challenges they face as antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents have erupted across their campuses. The Department of Education is investigating 60 schools, including Harvard and UPenn, over reports of antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents. Leaders have to protect both their students and their rights to free speech, but many harassed students still feel little support from their colleges.
The presidents in attendance are all in charge of prestigious campuses, and their handling of antisemitic incidents has been publicly questioned over the last couple of months. Magill faced criticism for not stopping or condemning antisemitic speakers from coming to campus during a Palestinian literature festival back in September. Harvard and UPenn also both have well-known Jewish alumni and donors, who have stopped their donations and publicly denounced the institutions for not taking enough action against antisemitism.
Part of the issue for some students is that certain speech, which makes them feel unsafe, is going unpunished on campus. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who led much of the questioning during the hearing, pushed the presidents for answers over what disciplinary actions or consequences would be taken against students who expressed support for Hamas. President Gay emphasized that while she finds certain student expressions “abhorrent” and will work to combat hate, she will not be punishing students for stating opinions. Universities don’t have the right to stop peaceful protests or students expressing an opinion, but they do have a duty to stop anything that crosses the line into harassment and violence.
This leaves many students upset with where the administrations of their universities seem to be drawing that line, and the hearing put a spotlight on these split feelings on campuses. For example, some students wonder why there wasn’t also a hearing on Islamophobia. The Daily Pennsylvanian spoke to George Washington University student Rhea Biswas at the hearing, who said the fact that the hearing did not also target Islamophobia was “intentional.” Her Campus reached out to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce for comment, but did not hear back by the time of publication. Biswas pointed out that UPenn is being investigated for both antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents, but the Dec. 5 hearing only addressed antisemitism. During the hearing, the presidents made remarks condemning Islamophobia, but the line of questioning from senators addressed antisemitism. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) also requested that the committee hold additional hearings on Islamophobia and affirmative action.
For some Jewish and Muslim students and their supporters, the girth leadership has given to free speech on campus is too wide. Some Jewish students from the represented universities attended the hearing, including one UPenn student who sued the university on Dec. 5 for not protecting Jewish students from antisemitism strongly enough. At a press conference preceding the hearing, Jewish students spoke about the fear they felt on campus and the impacts of rising antisemitism. Senior Eyal Yakoby testified, saying that Penn has become a “chilling landscape of hatred and hostility.”
Anti-Zionist Jewish student groups from several universities protested at a nearby park during the hearing. The Daily Pennsylvanian reported that during the rally, student organizer Jack Starobin condemned Magill for not speaking up strongly enough against harassment of Jewish and non-Jewish students who support Palestine. Since the attacks on Oct. 7, it seems that students on both sides of the issue have felt unsafe and unheard by their colleges.
As for what’s next for the presidents, several senators asked them to follow up with the committee about specific questions the presidents did not have answers to at the time. One of these questions was how many Harvard students have been held accountable for antisemitic actions and behaviors. Senators also called on presidents to commit to certain action items, like conducting reviews of what universities are teaching and reporting back to the committee with further action against antisemitic speech.
For students, the situation is still unfolding, as universities work on implementing the plans and promises they have made. During the hearing, presidents all discussed similar action plans their universities have to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia. President Gay said that part of Harvard’s next step is to build relationships with organizations outside of Harvard to help curb antisemitism, including the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. Per Gay’s published written testimony for the hearing, Harvard is also planning to institute campus-wide education programs that combat anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim speech. Penn has a three-pronged Action Plan to Combat Antisemitism, and MIT also newly launched an initiative against Islamophobia and antisemitism called “Standing Together Against Hate.”
The coming months pose a reckoning for students, faculty, and management on college campuses as they continue to navigate questions over free speech and rising hate. For Harvard, this may prove to be an uphill battle. A day after the hearing on Dec. 7, an anonymous group called Harvard with Hamas announced that a plane hired by Jewish students flew over Harvard’s campus trailing a banner reading “Harvard Hates Jews” and a Palestinian flag. Harvard’s Palestine Solidarity Committee said the plane’s use of the flag was racist, and also called the banner antisemitic. Harvard with Hamas responded to Her Campus’ request for comment, saying in part, “The banner is truthful. It states a historical fact and an unfortunate current reality. In the ’30s and ’40s, Jews were barred from Harvard and today they are making the campus so intimidating and dangerous that Jewish students fear for their lives.”
It’s clear that many students are unsatisfied by the promises made in the hearing, and await more tangible conclusions to the tensions on campus. Whether the hearing will be a catalyst for change remains to be seen, although it is sure that Harvard, UPenn, and MIT will stay in the public eye.