Harvard president apologizes for failure to address antisemitism, Islamophobia after new reports released

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Harvard president Alan Garber apologized for the university’s failure to address both antisemitic and anti-Muslim/Arab tensions on campus in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack.

On Tuesday, Harvard University released reports from its presidential task forces on antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias, as well as anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian bias. In a letter to the university, Garber expressed his gratitude for the teams’ work and lamented the rise of bigotry and “sometimes violent clashes” occurring on campus.

“The 2023-24 academic year was disappointing and painful,” Garber’s letter began. “I am sorry for the moments when we failed to meet the high expectations we rightfully set for our community. The grave, extensive impact of the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel and its aftermath had serious repercussions on our campus.”

Harvard University President Alan Garber gave his comments on two new reports about on-campus bigotry. (Paul Marotta/Getty Images)

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Garber’s letter largely generalized the plights felt by both sides, citing how “some students” reported feeling ostracized by their peers.

“Especially disturbing is the reported willingness of some students to treat each other with disdain rather than sympathy, eager to criticize and ostracize, particularly when afforded the anonymity and distance that social media provides. Some students reported being pushed by their peers to the periphery of campus life because of who they are or what they believe, eroding our shared sense of community in the process,” Garber said.

“Harvard cannot—and will not—abide bigotry,” he added. “We will continue to provide for the safety and security of all members of our community and safeguard their freedom from harassment.”

In response to the reports, Garber announced that the school would be implementing some of their recommendations, including a review of disciplinary policies, a research project on antisemitism and a historical analysis of Muslims and Palestinians.

“May our successors, whether they are Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, or of any combination of backgrounds and perspectives, find Harvard to be a place where they can be themselves, express their views freely, and encounter sympathy and understanding—a place where all are cheered on as they pursue their dreams,” Garber concluded.

Harvard referred to these reports and Garber’s letter when reached out for comment by Fox News Digital.

Anti-Israel protesters gather outside Harvard University to show their disapproval of actions taken by the administration.  (Brett Phelps/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Both reports recommended more teaching regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict along with fostering free expression and tolerance on campus. However, the task force on anti-Muslim bias focused more on efforts to promote representation, while the task force on antisemitism focused more on efforts to recognize and discipline antisemitic incidents among students and faculty.

Recommendations from the task force on anti-Muslim bias included pushes to combat doxxing among faculty and students and the formation of an advisory committee. Recommendations from the task force on antisemitism included a review of policies regarding student activities and beginning the process to fill positions at Harvard’s Center for Jewish Studies (CJS).

Garber announced these two presidential task forces in Jan. 2024 after Harvard came under fire for its handling of anti-Israel protests on campus. The task forces themselves have been considered controversial after it was reported that the co-chair of the antisemitism task force, Derek J. Penslar, signed a letter describing Israel as “a regime of apartheid.”

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Garber’s appointment as university president also came after former president Claudine Gay resigned following the backlash she received after failing to clarify whether calling for the genocide of Jews violated the school’s code of conduct and a plagiarism scandal.

The Trump administration froze billions of dollars of federal funding for Harvard over its failure to address antisemitism. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced a multibillion-dollar freeze of federal funding for Harvard over what it considered to be a failure to address antisemitism on campus. The university filed a lawsuit in response last week.