Numerous college presidents faced criticism about their responses to antisemitism on their campuses. But none more than University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill.
Some have called for the resignations of Harvard University President Claudine Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth after they testified along with Magill before a House committee December 5 about campus antisemitism, and the presidents did not explicitly say that calling for the genocide of Jews would necessarily violate their code of conduct on bullying or harassment. Instead, the school leaders explained it would depend on the circumstances and conduct.
But Penn’s campus has been roiled by controversies about the conflicts in the Middle East for longer than other schools – and Magill’s multiple unsuccessful attempts to satisfy critics have resulted in an uproar from donors and tumult on the school’s board.
In September, weeks before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the University of Pennsylvania allowed speakers that Penn’s administration acknowledged had a history of making antisemitic remarks to participate in the “Palestine Writes Literature Festival” on campus.
In response to the criticism of the university’s decision to allow the controversial speakers, Magill and other top university administrators issued a statement that tried to satisfy both sides of the controversy but ended up angering both supporters of Israel and Palestinians.
In response, 36 members of faculty at the school, before the festival was held, signed a letter criticizing that statement and Magill.
Numerous donors also approached Magill and the school about the festival and Penn’s tepid response. Weeks later, when Hamas attacked Israel and killed at least 1,200 people, that simmering resentment turned into a boil of anger.
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