Harvard apologises for antisemitism, Islamophobia on campus amid Gaza war

The Harvard report presents a troubling picture of how students treated each other in the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas war

Harvard University on Tuesday released two major reports revealing widespread antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias on its campus. The findings, which are based on hundreds of student and staff interviews, mark a crucial moment in the school's response to rising tensions after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

The newly released Harvard report also offered recommendations for the university covering admissions, handling complaints and how it teaches. (AFP)

The report presents a troubling picture of how students treated each other in the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas war and the security concerns for Jewish, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian students on the campus.

“I’m sorry for the moments when we failed to meet the high expectations we rightfully set for our community,” Harvard President Alan Garber said in a letter Tuesday accompanying the reports.

The report also offered recommendations for the university covering admissions, handling complaints and how it teaches.

The reports, commissioned by Harvard President Alan Garber shortly after he took over in early 2024, are part of the university’s effort to confront allegations of bias that have drawn national criticism and triggered multiple federal investigations.

The report comes at a time when the federal government is under fire over the allegations of antisemitism following the October 7 attacks. On Monday, the government opened another investigation, alleging discrimination at the Harvard Law Review.

The Antisemitism Report

• The Task Force Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Israel Bias described a campus in which antisemitism has been excluded from forms of prejudice such as racism or xenophobia.
• The report included an example of a Jewish student planning to give a speech describing their experiences as a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor. But the student recounted being told, “I cannot mention my grandfather’s rescue mission in my speech because his rescue mission involves Israel. Nowhere does my speech mention the current war or Zionism. It is strictly about the Holocaust.”
• The report also described a “new era” of pro-Palestinian organizing with tactics such as injecting discussions of the Palestinian cause into a wide range of areas in student life and using disruptive tactics at important events including first-year convocation at Harvard College and match day at the medical school.
• The task force on antisemitism recommended changes in eight categories, including admissions and discipline. For admissions, it suggested assessing an applicant’s aptitude in navigating situations with diverging viewpoints — something Harvard College already did with a new essay question announced last year.

Anti-Muslim Report

• The Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim, Anti-Arab and Anti-Palestinian Bias said students and other members of the community felt “abandoned and silenced” during the 2023-24 school year.
• Muslim students told the task force they were living in fear. One said peers had lost their jobs for being leaders in Muslim faith groups. They were also concerned about doxxing — the posting of private information about a person without their consent, which they said created a climate of intimidation that was compounded by the perception that the administration’s response was inadequate.
• The report on anti-Muslim bias suggested seven sets of recommendations, relating to safety, freedom of expression and transparency. Proposals also included increasing courses on Palestinian studies and bolstering cross-cultural understanding.
• The authors of the reports said they set out to listen to the concerns of community members and not to verify them.

Trump cuts Harvard University's funding

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump's administration froze $2.2 billion in grants to Harvard, one of the world's finest educational institutions, after the university defied the government's demands over campus protests.

In a letter to Harvard on Friday, President Donald Trump's administration had called for broad government and leadership reforms at the university, as well as changes to its admissions policies in a move to curb 'anti-Semitism activities.'

It also demanded that the university audit its views of diversity on campus and stop recognising some student clubs.

However, Harvard University refused to accept a deal with the Trump administration, saying it would not “negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights.”

(with Bloomberg inputs)