ACLJ Sends Letter to Five Ivy League Universities Demanding Immediate Action To Stop Antisemitism and Harassment of Jewish Students on Campus

Antisemitism has been an ugly problem in our nation, and the world, for a long time. But in the wake of October’s barbaric attacks against Israel by the terrorist army Hamas, we’ve seen hateful anti-Israel/anti-Jewish rhetoric, protests, and even dangerous acts of violence rapidly increasing across America.

Particularly on the campuses of our taxpayer-funded colleges and universities.

This is unconscionable, and we cannot stand idly by as Jewish college students fear for their safety on their own campuses.

The ACLJ just sent a demand letter directly to five Ivy League American universities – Harvard, Penn, MIT, Columbia, and Brown – where antisemitic activities and demonstrations have been not only tolerated but also seemingly encouraged.

As our letter stated:

We are writing to you about reports of antisemitic harassment on your campus to remind you of your legal responsibilities and to make sure that you are on notice for any and all possible violations. Specifically, we remind you of your responsibility to stop any antisemitic harassment on your campus so that you are not, by virtue of your standing, stature, and authority, creating or contributing to a hostile and harassing environment on campus.

Our college campuses are supposed to be places of learning and the free exchange of ideas. But never should any student feel unsafe, or more to the point, in clear and present danger, because of their religious or ethnic identity. Yet right now, Jewish students feel the need to hide or leave campus altogether for fear of violence. And these schools are not doing nearly enough, if anything, to protect them and quell the antisemitic uprising running rampant on their campuses.

As we recently told you, at a House of Representatives committee hearing, the presidents of Harvard (Claudine Gay), MIT (Sally Kornbluth), and Penn (Liz Magill) were brought in to testify about rampant antisemitism and hate speech against Jewish students on college campuses. But these learned educators struck an obtuse demeanor and danced around the blatant racist antisemitism on their campuses. When asked about reported calls for the genocide of the Jews, now- former Penn President Liz Magill said such claims required more “context.”

At the hearing, Harvard’s President Claudine Gay was also asked about chants for “intifada” against Jews that took place on Harvard’s campus. President Gay also insisted that context was needed for such calls before she could determine if they violated Harvard’s code of conduct.

Merriam-Webster defines “intifada” as an “uprising” or “rebellion”– and gives the specific example of “an armed uprising of Palestinians against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.”

That’s right: an armed uprising. But the leaders of these (at least once) prestigious universities need more context. After all, we wouldn’t want to rush to judgment of anyone who calls for an armed uprising and completely ignores, or excuses, the heinous deeds of bloodthirsty terrorists who savagely murdered babies and the elderly in Israel this October. Not without proper context.

We made a point to reference this Congressional hearing and the behavior of said university representatives in our letter, stating:

Just recently, we witnessed the failure of several prominent university presidents to grasp the danger that calls for “intifada” and the “globalization of the intifada” pose to Jewish students on their campus, and to condemn such threats. During a congressional committee hearing entitled, “Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism,” the presidents of your University . . . were asked whether calls for the “genocide of Jews” would be considered harassment under their respective school policies. Rather than answer with a clear “yes,” each president, including yours, hedged their responses.

And this antisemitism is not just a threat to our colleges and universities. If it’s permitted to continue unchecked, this antisemitic dogma will spread beyond the halls of higher learning. We’ve already told you how antisemitism has wormed its way into our federal government, as members of the so-called “Squad” have used their congressional platform to spread antisemitic hate speech.

We reported how a congressional hearing recently exposed hateful antisemitism inside the Biden Justice Department. But now even those on the Left aren’t safe. As we recently shared, anti-Israel protestors converged on the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C., and became so violent and untethered that lawmakers inside had to be evacuated, including Democrat House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

We cannot allow supporters of violence and racist hate to hijack and infect our educational institutions, or the future looks unfathomably grim. These colleges have a responsibility to protect all their students. And that needs to start with a complete overhaul of their leadership, especially if they can’t even take a definitive stand against violence against Jews.

As our letter stated:

The calls for genocide are appalling, unacceptable, and contribute to an atmosphere of intimidation and hostility for students. University presidents, including President Gay, must be educated on antisemitism and its various forms in order to protect their students, and must take a firm stand against such conduct. . . . The danger is real, and authorities must act quickly and decisively to immediately curb any behavior that crosses from free speech into unlawful conduct. Failing to do so will have disastrous results, not only for the Jewish community, but also for all Americans.

We ended the letter by demanding that these universities make immediate and demonstrable corrections to stop this antisemitism and the harassment of their Jewish students. And we’re preparing to send copies to other schools as well.

We have already heard from Harvard and Yale as they begin responding to our letter, which lets you know that these schools are, for the first time, being forced to take this issue seriously. But if swift changes are not made, we will let them know that the ACLJ is more than prepared to take legal action – for the sake of their students, their schools, and the entire country.

Our letter included a quote from the late Chief Rabbi of England’s United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, which stated: “Antisemitism is the world’s most reliable early warning sign of a major threat to freedom. . . . It matters to all of us. Which is why we must fight it together.”