A Harvard community letter is calling for “significant consequences” for those involved in the anti-Israel encampments has 600 signatures.
The letter urges interim Harvard President Alan Garber to take action to end “discrimination against the pro-Israel community.”
“While some have tried to associate the encampment with the long history of protests on Harvard’s campus, this one is distinct for its calls for violence and its active and targeted disruption of the lives of an identifiable group of minority students,” the letter says, going on to describe instances where Jewish students felt unsafe.
“The incidents at the encampment are not merely reflective of general campus unrest; they represent a deeply troubling escalation of targeted hostility toward one minority group,” the letter adds. “Unlike previous political protests at Harvard, which advocated for broader societal or policy goals, the actions that culminated in the 20-day occupation of Harvard Yard have been poisoned by dehumanizing rhetoric and calls to violence against Jewish and Israeli individuals.”
Those involved in the 20-day occupation have “chanted for the ethnic cleansing of Israelis, and for violence against Jews,” the letter says.
The letter acknowledged that the “recent suspensions of some rule-breaking undergraduate participants in the encampment were a step in the right direction,” although some participants “have received minimal or no sanctions despite the equal or greater gravity of their offenses.”
The authors then called for “thorough investigations and appropriate accountability,” “public condemnation of antisemitism,” and “equal time and access for the pro-Israel community.”
“The integrity of Harvard’s educational environment, as well as its safety and inclusivity, are at stake,” the letter asserted. “Immediate and concrete actions are crucial to restore trust and ensure that all students, regardless of background, are able to study at Harvard while feeling safe and supported.”
At the time of writing, the letter has 602 signatures.
