The resignation of former University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill has been met with applause — and calls for the heads of Harvard and MIT to also resign over their failure to condemn antisemitism on campus.
Many saw Magill’s resignation Saturday as the start of a university president aware he will face consequences for failing to denounce student calls for the genocide of Jews — though others believe it is a victory for censoring pro-Palestinian voices.
“One down. Two more,” Rep. New York Elise Stefanik posted on X following Magill’s announcement.
“Harvard and MIT are doing the right thing,” the Republican said, pleading for the president there to step down as well.
Stefanik made a name for himself after asking Magill point blank whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate the university’s code of conduct at a congressional hearing last week, where UPenn leaders testified alongside Harvard University President Claudine Gay and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth.
Magill sheepishly replied that “it’s a context-dependent decision.”
Stefanik said Magill’s resignation “is just the beginning of addressing the rampant rot of antisemitism that has destroyed America’s most ‘prestigious’ institution of higher education.”
Harvard President Claudine Gay also faced calls to quit. AP MIT President Sally Kornbluth was also targeted by critics after her testimony before Congress. AP
He warned that Harvard and MIT can now “expect a robust and comprehensive Congressional investigation into all aspects of their institutions’ negligence of antisemitism including administration, faculty, funding and overall leadership and governance.”
The StopAntisemitism organization also called Magill’s resignation “great news.”
It said his removal came after Magill allowed “the once-prestigious university to descend into a chaotic mire of anti-Semitism this past year.
“Let’s hope a Gay Harvard President is forthcoming,” StopAntisemitism posted on X.
Billionaire Bill Ackman, who has called for Magill, Gay and Kornbluth to resign, meanwhile, celebrated the news of Magill’s resignation by saying so “morality has spoken.”
He previously said there was “hope for UPenn” if Magill resigned.
University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill resigned Saturday following her disastrous Congressional testimony. AP
But others see the call for Magill’s resignation as censorship for pro-Palestinian protests, which have continued on a Pennsylvania campus with demonstrators chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” — a rallying cry that calls for the elimination of the Jewish state of Israel.
Alex Kane, a journalist with “Jewish Currents” magazine claimed that the call for Magill’s resignation was “not solely” about him, post that: “The main story is the McCarthyist atmosphere consuming college campuses over the call for Palestinian liberation.
“Magill gently defended freedom of speech for Palestinian supporters, then made a huge PR mistake and fell into the right-wing trap,” he claimed.
“Al Jazeera” reporter Laila Al-Arian noted that Magill has faced criticism for months – ever since the university hosted the “Palestine Writes” festival, which featured speakers who called for “death to Israel” and another who had dressed up as a Nazi. -inspired clothing.
Rep. Elise Stefanik has questioned the college side many times. ZUMAPRESS.com
“President [UPenn] Liz Magill has been under fire for months for allowing a literary festival called ‘Palestine Writes’ featuring writers, scholars and artists to take place on campus,” Al-Arian wrote. “Efforts to silence and censor Palestinian voices are relentless.”
In announcing his own resignation Saturday night, University of Pennsylvania President Scott Bok also defended Magill, saying he simply “made a very unfortunate mistake — consistent with two of his fellow university leaders who sat with him — after five hours of aggressive questioning before the committee congress.
He went on to praise the ousted president as “a very good person and a talented leader” who was “not the least bit antisemitic.”
Bok also claimed Magill was “exhausted by months of relentless attacks” and “gave valid answers to moral questions” that “made a horrendous 30-second sound bite in what was more than five hours of testimony.
“Following that, it became clear that his position was no longer tenable, and he and I simultaneously decided that it was time for him to leave,” he said in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian.
The Post has reached out to other board members for their reactions as well.
Jewish leader Julie Platt is now taking over as chair of the board of trustees until a permanent replacement can be found.
“As the current vice chair, Julie was the obvious choice to agree to serve in this capacity during this time of transition,” the executive committee of the Board of Trustees said in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian.
In his acceptance speech, Platt praised his work to end antisemitism on campus
“As vice chair of the university board a few months ago, I worked hard from within to address the growing issue of antisemitism on campus,” Platt said, according to the Jerusalem Post.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t made all the progress we should and would like to make.”
Platt – the mother of actor and singer Ben Platt – also insisted that she would only serve as interim chair, as her position as chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Jewish Federation of North America takes precedence.
“As chairman of the Jewish Federation of North America, we led the largest mobilization in our history in support of Israel’s right to protect its people and against the rise of antisemitism in North America, including holding the largest Jewish rally in American history on the National Mall.
“We will continue this fight with all our energy.”
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
