Leading universities in the United States have come under fire due to pro-Palestinian demonstrations
The leaders of three leading universities in the USA - Harvard, University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have been invited to speak at congressional hearings on the fight against "anti-Semitism". Lawmakers have criticized any pro-Palestinian protests on the campuses of universities, calling them expressions of " hatred against Jews ."
Members of Congress demanded the indictment and prosecution of students who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
In a heated debate that lasted several hours, the presidents of the three universities tried to discuss the next steps. However, Republican congresswoman Elise Stefanik demanded that there be no mention of "freedom of speech" and that any anti-Israel slogans be banned.
During the debate, Stefanik asked University of Pennsylvania President Elizabeth Magill to say whether students who "incite genocide against Jews" should be disciplined under the university's ethics code. The senator also considered the Palestinian slogan "intifada", which means "riot" in Arabic, to be a call for "genocide". According to Stefanik, this word can be seen as a hypothetical call for violence against Jews .
"If words turn into action, that can lead to an investigation," Chancellor Magill responded, citing the US's First Amendment guarantee of free speech. The head of the university said that the disciplinary decision depends on the context. Stefanik began to demand the rector to answer "yes" or "no", but the rector refused.
Senators from both parties criticized Megill. "It's unbelievable that it has to be said: Calls for genocide are horrific and go against everything we stand for as a country, " said White House Press Secretary Andrew Bates.
A number of Jewish politicians supported the White House's condemnation of Megill's remarks. In particular, the governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, called Megill to resign.
Earlier, American Jewish donors began withdrawing donations from universities for supporting free speech and allowing pro- Palestinian events. For example , after the chancellor of the University of Pennsylvania spoke out for the protection of freedom of speech, an unknown donor withdrew a donation in the amount of 100 million dollars.
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