University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill has issued a heartbreaking apology for her refusal to denounce calls for the genocide of Jews on campus in a speech to Congress — as Harvard University President Pauline Gay retracted her testimony.
In a video posted on the Ivy League’s website on Wednesday, Magill tried to explain his failure by saying he was not “focused” on the issue, and said he wanted to “make it clear” that calls for genocide were “evil, clear and easy..”
But he also seemed to blame university policy and even the US Constitution for allowing calls to be made on campus.
“There was a moment during yesterday’s Congressional hearing on antisemitism when I was asked whether calling for the genocide of Jews on our campus would violate our policy,” Magill began the two-minute video.
“At that point, I was focused on a long-standing university policy — in line with the US Constitution — that says that speech alone should not be punished.
“I’m not focusing on – but I should be – the undeniable fact that the call for the genocide of the Jews is a call for some of the most terrible violence that humanity can do.
“It’s evil, plain and simple,” he said.
University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill issued a heartbreaking apology for her failure to denounce calls for genocide against Jews on Wednesday. Penn/X
Magill later said he hoped to clarify his position.
“I want to be clear: the call for genocide against the Jews is threatening, very much,” he said.
“It is deliberately intended to frighten people who have suffered pogroms and hatred for centuries, and were victims of genocide in the Holocaust.
“In my view, it would be harassment or intimidation.”
But these calls for violence are not classified as harassment under university policy, Magill said, as he vowed to review and update existing rules.
“For decades under several Penn presidents and consistent with most universities, Penn’s policies have been guided by the Constitution and the law,” he said.
The Ivy League president seemed to blame university policy and the US Constitution for allowing calls to be made on campus. Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
“In today’s world, where we see signs of hate running rampant across our campuses and our world in ways not seen in years, this policy needs to be clarified and evaluated. Penn must begin a serious and thorough look at our policies.”
Magill concluded by saying that he is “committed to a safe, secure and supportive environment in which all members of our community thrive.
“We can, and we will do it right,” he said.
The video apology came the same day Harvard President Pauline Gay retracted her own testimony to Congress saying the university would begin punishing calls for genocide.
“There are some people who confuse the right to free speech with the idea that Harvard would condone calls for violence against Jewish students,” Gay said said in a statement on Harvard’s official X account on Wednesday.
He attended the hearing with Harvard President Pauline Gay and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth. Getty Images
“Let me be clear: Calls for violence or genocide against the Jewish community, or any religious or ethnic group are abhorrent, they have no place at Harvard, and those who threaten our Jewish students will be held accountable.”
Both the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard have come under fire in recent months for their failure to condemn the rising antisemitism on campus following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Many major donors to the university have now distanced themselves from the school because of their stance, and Magill and Gay’s testimony on Tuesday even drew criticism from the White House.
“It’s unbelievable that this needs to be said: calls for genocide are terrible and against everything we stand for as a country,” senior communications adviser and deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
