The two top leaders of the prestigious University of Pennsylvania resigned Saturday after several days of furious reaction to the school president’s testimony before a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism where she, and the heads of Harvard and MIT, offered equivocal responses to whether calls for genocide of Jews would violate their schools’ rules.
The resignation of UPenn president Liz Magill was announced by Scott L. Bok, chairman of the university’s board of trustees, who soon after disclosed that he too was stepping down, a spokesman for the school confirmed.
The blowback focused on a line of questioning from Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who repeatedly asked whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate their campus codes of conduct.
“If the speech turns into conduct it can be harassment, yes,” Magill said. Pressed further, she told Stefanik, “It is a context-dependent decision, congresswoman.”
Pressure on Magill included a threat by one donor to withdraw a roughly $100 million gift to the university, while . Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro called her remarks “shameful” and urged the UPenn board to consider whether they were consistent with the university’s values.
I don’t get how she fucked this up so badly. All she had to say was “students are entitled to protest for Palestine, but calls for genocide are not OK”
Kinda sounds like she’s OK with calls for genocide.
I’m probably taking my life in my hands even discussing this, but hopefully Lemmy will rise above the common discourse in this matter.
The problem is that both sides of this conflict play the genocide card the instant they are criticized. If you call for military action against (anywhere), your critics instantly accuse you of desiring genocide for the people of (anywhere) . “Palestinians rise up against your occupiers” becomes “a call for the genocide of Jews”. “Israel vigorously defend yourself from terrorists” becomes “a call for the genocide of Palestinians”.
Many in the Israel-supporting community say that any implication of intifada – even just wearing the famous checkered scarf (the keffiyeh) – is a call for Jewish genocide. Many in the Palestinian-supporting community say that any implication that Israel should secure its borders and defend its people and have a homeland in the Levant is a call for Palestinian genocide.
The only thing I do know, in all of this, is that the Gazan people are poorly represented by Hamas, and the Israeli people are poorly represented by their conservative government, and I don’t wish harm to any noncombatants.
All she had to say was “students are entitled to protest for Palestine, but calls for genocide are not OK”
Maybe. The problem is that a signficant contingent of Israel supporters will go on to say that any protest for Palestine IS a call for Jewish genocide.
It’s McCarthyism all over again. “Have you supported, or do you support, those who protest for independence and freedom for the Palestinian territories? … How DARE you, madam! How dare you call for genocide of the Jewish people! Have you no decency, madam? Have you no shame?”
And the other side will pull the exact same rhetorical trick, given the opportunity.
You make some good points, and I respect you greatly for being nuanced in the face of extremely anger-inducing rhetoric (also for raising your head above the virtual parapet!).
