Anti-Defamation League CEO slams Penn president’s testimony clarification: ‘Looked like a hostage video’

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt blasted University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill for her video in which she attempted to clarify testimony she made before Congress regarding punishments for antisemitism on campus.

When asked while testifying before Congress on Tuesday if “calling for the genocide of Jews” constituted bullying or harassment, she said it was a “context-dependent decision.” In a video posted on Wednesday, Magill said in that moment, she was focusing on speech policies and said that calls for genocide of the Jewish people “would” be considered bullying or harassment.

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Greenblatt, speaking on CNN’s CNN News Central, called the Wednesday video similar to a “hostage video” and said he does not have confidence in her leadership

“I looked at the Liz McGill video last night. It looked like a hostage video, like she was speaking under duress. I understand why the governor of Pennsylvania — I understand why so many of the trustees don’t have confidence in her. I don’t have confidence anymore that Penn is capable under this leadership of getting it right,” Greenblatt said.

When asked if the ADL has a position on calls for resignation for McGill and other Ivy League university presidents, who testified before Congress and failed to state whether calls for genocide against the Jewish people were against their policy, he said they did not prior to this week.

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“Well, before Tuesday, we didn’t, but when I watched these presidents flail and feebly, with ‘legal-ish’ answers, respond to a simple line of questioning, we have lost confidence with them. Now let me be honest, we have worked — I have spoken to President McGill, and I have spoken to [Harvard University] President [Claudine] Gay. We are ready to help the institutions to get it right, but it is not clear to me that these leaders are actually deeply committed to doing so,” he added.

Since the testimony by the university presidents on Tuesday before the House of Representatives, their answers have prompted concern from alumni and calls for resignation.