Harvard president Claudine Gay issues first REAL apology two days after saying calling for ‘genocide of Jews’ only constitutes harassment ‘depending on the context’

By Liam On Dec 8, 2023

Harvard President Claudine Gay has finally apologized for the anti-Semitic scandal sparked by her remarks before Congress on Tuesday, after previous statements were criticized for being inaccurate.

Gay sparked widespread backlash this week when she said calling for genocide of the Jewish people would only be wrong “depending on the context.”

The comment sparked furious outrage as Gay was condemned, including by the White House, prompting the educator to issue a humiliating apology to Harvard Raspberry on Thursday.

‘I’m sorry. Words matter,” she said. “When words add to the grief and pain, I don’t know how anyone can feel anything other than regret.”

Gay insisted her controversial stance came in the middle, at the end of hours-long testimony, and she “became caught up in what at that point became an extended, combative exchange about policy and procedure.”

“What I needed to do at that moment was to return to my guiding truth, which was that calls for violence against our Jewish community—threats to our Jewish students—have no place at Harvard and will never go unheeded.” ,’ she added.

Harvard President Claudine Gay said at a congressional hearing yesterday that calling for the genocide of Jews does not violate the school’s code of conduct.

Gay’s appearances before Congress led to her clashing with New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik at the end of her hours-long testimony in a hostile exchange that was widely shared online.

Stefanik asked Harvard’s president, “Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvard’s rules on intimidation and harassment?” at her university.

In response, Gay said, “Maybe, depending on the context.”

Stefanik continued her line of questioning, insisting it was a yes or no question.

“Anti-Semitic speech, when it escalates into behavior that amounts to bullying, harassment and intimidation, is actionable behavior, and we are taking action,” Gay said, and many believe her position is not strong enough.

Gay then repeated several times that calls for genocide were merely an offense dependent on “context,” leading Stefanik to berate her in front of the House of Representatives.

“It doesn’t depend on the context. The answer is yes, and that is why you should resign,” the spokesman said. “These are unacceptable responses across the board.”

At the stormy hearing, similarly vague positions on anti-Semitism were expressed by University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth, who also faced calls for their resignations over their testimony.

Today, the UPenn board of directors told Magill she must resign from her job after its members held an emergency meeting following her disastrous appearance.

White House joined in criticism of Gay, Magill and MIT President Sally Kornbluth, with a spokesman saying calls for genocide are “monstrous and contrary to everything we stand for as a country.”

Gay’s testimony also comes amid growing threats and violent anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses. footage published on social networks The editor of the Harvard Law Review appears to have targeted an Israeli student on Harvard’s campus last month.

U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) calls for the resignation of Harvard University President Claudine Gay during a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing

The hearing was also widely criticized by the testimony of MIT President Sally Kornbluth (left) and University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill (right), who later faced calls for their resignations.

Amid national outrage, Gay issued a heavily criticized statement the next day, saying her remarks were “confused” and insisting that Harvard was committed to combating anti-Semitism.

“Some people confuse the right to freedom of expression with the idea that Harvard will tolerate calls for violence against Jewish students,” she said.

“Let me be clear: calls for violence or genocide against the Jewish community or any religious or ethnic group are abhorrent, have no place at Harvard, and those who threaten our Jewish students will be held accountable.”

The Harvard leader has faced growing calls to resign from her lucrative position following the scandal, and leaders of Harvard Hillel – the university’s Jewish community – have said they do not trust her to protect Jewish students on campus.

She has now said she failed to “get her truth across” during the hearing and said she regretted her words because they came in the heat of the moment after her hours of testimony turned hostile.

“I was involved in what at that point became an extended, combative exchange of views about policies and procedures,” Gay said.

Pro-Palestinian protesters are photographed on the Harvard campus on October 14, 2023. It is among the groups that Republicans say are labeled “morally reprehensible” for their apparent support for the terrorist group Hamas.

Gay added that she “failed to convey the truth to me” but said she does not regret attending the congressional hearing and speaking out on the pressing issue of anti-Semitism.

“When the committee invited me to attend the hearing, I agreed without hesitation,” she said. “It was an opportunity to simply convey the depth of my personal commitment and institutional commitment to combating anti-Semitism.”

The Harvard Crimson noted that her testimony had the opposite effect on campus, as one of its editorial editors, Harvard Hillel President Jacob Miller, joined campus Hillel Rabbi Getzel Davis in writing a scathing open letter in response Tuesday night.

“President Gay’s failure to adequately condemn this speech calls into question her ability to protect Jewish students on the Harvard campus,” Hillel’s leadership wrote.

“President Gay’s evidence does not convince us that the university is seriously concerned about anti-Semitic rhetoric that is widespread on campus.”