In a congressional hearing two months after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel precipitated the war in Gaza, college protests over the siege, and the US ally’s retaliatory bombardment of the territory, the then-president of Harvard University was asked if “calling for the genocide of Jews” would be against Harvard’s anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies.
In a remark that stunned many students and benefactors and caused a great deal of division on campus and among alumni, Claudine Gay stated, “It can be, depending on the context.”
Gay later expressed regret. However, she eventually resigned due to the criticism and a plagiarism issue, with Jewish organizations admitting that the oldest, richest, and most prominent university in the country wasn’t treating antisemitism seriously enough.
