Harvard Officially Responds To Antisemitic Cartoon

Harvard University has a well publicized antisemitism problem on its hands.

The on-campus response to the horrific terrorist attacks on October 7 was inexcusable, leading to a congressional hearing with former president Claudine Gay. Gay's smirking, atrocious performance shone a spotlight on her behavior and past performance. That spotlight and journalist Christopher Rufo helped expose a massive plagiarism scandal, which eventually led to Gay's ouster.

But even after she was replaced on an interim basis by Alan Garber, problems at Harvard continued. The school appointed someone with a history of publicly anti-Israel views to its task force on antisemitism on campus. If you're wondering how that makes sense, it doesn't.

Then just recently, yet another new controversy hit the once prestigious school: more blatant, public antisemitism.

The Harvard "faculty and staff for justice in Palestine" official Instagram account posted a story attempting to link the "Black liberation movement" of the past with the "Palestinian liberation" of today. In doing so, they posted a virulently antisemitic cartoon depiction of a hand with a Star of David, complete with "$" in the middle, holding two men in a noose.

For a school that's tolerated antisemitism and for an organization replete with it, it wasn't terribly surprising. 

Though maybe, if the school's response is to be believed, they might finally be turning over a new leaf when it comes to tolerating bigotry.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The U.S. Justice Department sided with Asian-Americans suing Harvard over admissions policy.  (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

Harvard President Responds to Antisemitic Messages

Garber, currently acting as interim president, responded on Tuesday in a press release, saying that their "condemnation" stands. 

"A few groups purporting to speak on behalf of Harvard affiliates recently circulated a flagrantly antisemitic cartoon in a post on social media channels… While the groups associated with the posting or sharing of the cartoon have since sought to distance themselves from it in various ways, the damage remains, and our condemnation stands."

Garber continued, "Perpetuating vile and hateful antisemitic tropes, or otherwise engaging in inflammatory rhetoric or sharing images that demean people on the basis of their identity, is precisely the opposite of what this moment demands of us."

"The members of the Corporation join me in unequivocally condemning the posting and sharing of the cartoon in question. The University will review the situation to better understand who was responsible for the posting and to determine what further steps are warranted," he said.

That is, of course, the next question. What further steps are warranted?

Modern universities, exemplified by Harvard, have created and encouraged an atmosphere of repressive compliance with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Except when it comes to Jews and Israel. 

Because the progressive left sees Israel as a "colonial" state and anti-coloniaism is a key tenant of their delusional ideology, thinly-viewed antisemitic criticisms have become commonplace on the Harvard campus. And many others. But every so often, the thin veneer slips and the true, ugly core of antisemitic ideology becomes clear. 

That's what happened in this instance. And while Harvard's response thus far is admirable, until it deals with the ramifications and reality of what its obvious ideology has created, the underlying issue will never be fixed. Punishment is all well and good, but what should come next, what must come next, is coming to terms with the real problem. Given how prevalent these attitudes are on campus, that still seems like a long way off.