Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff condemned college presidents who skirted questions about antisemitism on campus Thursday at a Hanukkah event.
Emhoff, who is Jewish, denounced the testimonies of the three university presidents in a speech at the National Menorah lighting on the Ellipse near the White House, The Hill reported.
“I know you’re in pain. I’m in pain. I know a lot of us are feeling unmoored and afraid. We’ve not seen anything like this moment, and I know it’s scary,” Emhoff said.
“Just look at the news the past couple of days. What have we seen? We’ve seen the presidents of some of our most elite universities literally unable to denounce calling for the genocide of Jews as antisemitic,” the second gentleman continued. “That lack of moral clarity is simply unacceptable.”
“Presidents of most elite universities unable to denounce calling for genocide of Jews as antisemitic. ..When Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or identity…that is antisemitism and it must be condemned. And condemned unequivocally and without context.”
– Doug Emhoff pic.twitter.com/1Fr0Lryw1U
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) December 8, 2023
Harvard President Claudine Gay, University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) President Liz Magill and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) President Sally Kornbluth refused to answer on Tuesday whether or not calls for genocide of the Jewish people violated their schools’ codes of conduct. The House Committee on Education and Workforce opened an investigation on Thursday into the three colleges following the hearing.
The presidents of MIT, Penn, and Harvard seem to think that **calls for the genocide of Jews** do not violate codes of conduct, and it “depends on the context.”
No. This is not a Black Mirror episode. We’re living in one. pic.twitter.com/emO878af4P
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) December 6, 2023
“Let me be clear: When Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or identity, and when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hatred, that is antisemitism, and it must be condemned,” Emhoff said.
Pro-Palestinian protesters have recently staged anti-Israel demonstrations at several universities.