Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman called on the presidents of three prestigious universities to “resign in disgrace” following their comments during a congressional hearing on Tuesday.
The Harvard alum was angered by her alma mater’s dean Claudine Gay along with University of Pennsylvania Liz Magill and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) president Sally Kornbluth for their failure to call out antisemitic protests that have taken place on their campuses.
“In short, they say: It ‘depends on the context’ and ‘whether speech turns into behavior,’ that is, actually killing Jews,” Ackman said in a post on X. “This could be the most extraordinary testimony ever elicited in Congress, certainly on the topic of genocide.”
Called before the House Education and Workforce Committee, the three university leaders were all questioned about the rise in violent antisemitic demonstrations on their campuses since Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7 that killed more than 1,200 people.
Billionaire Bill Ackman called on the presidents of three prestigious universities to “resign in disgrace” following their comments during a congressional hearing on Tuesday. REUTERS Harvard President Claudine Gay speaks during a House Education Committee hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. AP
The statement was made after Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) pressed the trio on whether students have the right to free speech despite calling for the mass killing of African Americans, “comparing to campus protesters calling for a “global intifada,” against Jews.
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Ackman went on to remind his followers of the definition of genocide as “the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular country or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that country or group”
The founder of Pershing Square Capital said the school leader’s response reinforces the university’s self-inflicted failure.
The three university leaders were all questioned about an increase in violent antisemitic demonstrations on their campuses since Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7 that killed more than 1,200 people. Getty Images Rep. Elise Stefanik pressed the trio on whether students have the right to free speech despite calling for mass killings of African Americans,” a comparison to campus protesters calling for a “global intifada,” against Jews. @RepStefanik / X
“The president’s response reflects the deep educational, moral and ethical failure that has plagued some of our elite educational institutions due in large part to their failed leadership.”
“They should all resign in disgrace,” Ackman said before saying that if it was a leader from one of his companies, they would be gone in an hour.
“Why is antisemitism exploding on campus and around the world? Because leaders like President Gay, Magill and Kornbluth believe genocide depends on the context,” he added.
“To think that they are leaders of Ivy League institutions charged with the responsibility of educating our best and brightest.”
Ackman said the school leader’s response reinforced the university’s self-imposed failure after the congressional hearings. AP
Ackman praised the politicians for the way they conducted the hearing, saying they showed “extraordinary leadership and moral clarity in their statements,” and it was “a master class in how our government and democracy should operate.”
The billionaire’s anger towards the three school leaders was heightened by their behavior as they sat opposite the elected officials.
“Throughout the trial, all three behaved like hostile witnesses, displaying deep contempt for Congress with their smirks and smiles, and their refusal to answer basic questions with yes or no answers.
Protesters demonstrated on October 14 in Cambridge, Mass to show their support for the Palestinian people following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. AFP via Getty Images Protesters take part in an “Emergency Rally: Standing With Palestinians Under Siege in Gaza,” at Harvard University in Mass. on Oct 14 2023. Reuters
Ackman has been a leading figure in the fight against antisemitism in the US since the start of the Israel War, calling for the release of the names of Harvard students who blamed Israel for the attack and the suspension of the editor of Harvard’s student newspaper.
In November, Ackman called on the editor of the Harvard Law Review to face disciplinary action after he was caught on video blocking the path of an alleged Israel supporter during a demonstration.
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