Harvard President Claudine Gay resigns after all
At a hearing, the president of the elite US university Harvard gives evasive answers to the question of whether students who call for the "genocide of Jews" are in breach of the rules of conduct. Despite massive criticism, Claudine Gay was able to stay in office - until now.
Because of her stance on anti-Semitism on campus, the president of the elite US university Harvard will now resign after all, according to the university newspaper. "Harvard President Claudine Gay will resign on Tuesday afternoon", reported the newspaper "The Harvard Crimson".
The paper referred to "a person informed of the decision". Gay's term of office will be the shortest in the history of Harvard University. The university initially had no reaction to the report. In mid-December, Gay had averted a resignation after the Harvard Corporation, the university's governing body, backed her.
Gay - the first African-American female president in Harvard's history - had previously been questioned about anti-Semitism at a congressional hearing. When asked whether students who call for the "genocide of Jews" on campus violate the university's code of conduct, she replied: "It depends on the context."
Alongside the criticism, however, there was also support for the university presidents. Harvard professor Ryan Enos, for example, explained with regard to the calls for her resignation, particularly from the ranks of the conservative Republicans: "The reason she (Gay) was forced to resign is because of political pressure from politicians who want to shape universities to their liking." In a free society, however, universities should not be run by the state.
Since the attack on Israel by the radical Islamic group Hamas on October 7 and the subsequent start of the Israeli bombardment of targets in the Gaza Strip, anti-Semitic incidents and hate crimes against Jews, but also Muslims, have increased in the USA. There have also been anti-Semitic actions at universities.
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The International community has expressed concern over the rise of anti-Semitic incidents at universities in the USA, including the controversial stance of Harvard President Claudine Gay on the issue. Despite support from some quarters, the pressure mounted against Gay, leading to her eventual resignation from her position at Harvard.
Source: www.ntv.de
