PA Gov Calls UPenn President's Antisemitism Testimony to Congress 'Absolutely Shameful'
University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill listens during a hearing of the House Committee on Education on Capitol Hill, Dec. 5, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Three university presidents are taking heat over their testimony to Congress about antisemitism and calls for genocide on campus.
Harvard University President Claudine Gay, Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth, and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) President Liz Magill appeared in front of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Tuesday.
They are facing accusations of not doing enough to protect Jewish students.
In an exchange with Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), UPenn President Liz Magill would not say that genocidal chants against Jews amount to harassment.
"Ms. Magill, at Penn, does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Penn's rules or code of conduct? Yes or no?" Stefanik asked.
"If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment. Yes," Magill answered.
"I am asking specifically calling for the genocide of Jews, does that constitute bullying or harassment?" Stefanik said.
"It's a context-dependent decision, Congresswoman," Magill said.
"It's a context-dependent decision? That's your testimony today? Calling for the genocide of Jews is depending on the context?" Stefanik exclaimed. "That is not bullying or harassment? This is the easiest question to answer, 'yes' Ms. McGill. So it is your testimony that you will not answer, 'yes'?"
The New York Republican again asked the UPenn president, "Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Penn's code of conduct when it comes to bullying or harassment? Yes or no?"
"It can be harassment," Magill answered.
"The answer is 'yes,'" Stefanik replied.
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Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro called Magill's remarks to the committee about campus antisemitism, "unacceptable," "absolutely shameful," and a "failure of leadership."
He also said the university board of directors should meet to determine if her remarks reflect the values of the school.
Magill later posted a video saying she should have focused on, "The irrefutable fact that a call for genocide of Jewish people is a call for the most terrible violence human beings can perpetrate."
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Gov. Shapiro also visited a restaurant in Philadelphia that was targeted by pro-Palestinian protestors last weekend with the crowd chanting charges of genocide against the shop's Jewish owners over Israel's war on Hamas.
The governor called the protests antisemitic.
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Meanwhile, there's been another disturbing incidence of antisemitism on campus, this time at Columbia University in New York City. Students praised the massacre and sexual violence against Israeli civilians perpetrated by Hamas war criminals on Oct 7.
In a brief video posted to the social media platform X, pro-Palestinian protesters called the terrorists "liberation fighters," and praised their murder, rape, torture and kidnapping of Israelis as "great feats" inside Columbia's social work building, while hiding their identities.
Another smoldering heap of a university. @Columbia University stated that a planned student event to celebrate the October 7 "Palestinian Counteroffensive" would not be permitted to take place.
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) December 7, 2023
Yet here they are calling murder, rape, torture and kidnapping "great feats"… pic.twitter.com/HTOFz6YJia
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