The aftermath of the Hamas attacks on Israel of October 7, 2023, and the ensuing war in Gaza, produced one of the most intense periods of political conflict in American higher education since the Vietnam War. The period was marked by a dramatic increase in pro-Palestinian activism on campuses across the States, accusations that universities tolerated or encouraged antisemitism, Congressional investigations, resignations of university presidents, and major changes in university policies.

On December 5, 2023, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a highprofile hearing on “antisemitism on college campuses,” calling the presidents of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and MIT to testify about protests, speech codes and protections for Jewish students. 

In exchanges with each of the Ivy League presidents, Representative Elise Stefanik asked directly whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate each university’s policies on bullying and harassment.  All three gave contextdependent answers, claiming that to breach their rules speech must cross into conduct.  Democratic and Republican lawmakers alike criticized these responses as legalistic and morally evasive.

The fallout from the hearing led to the resignations of Liz Magill, president of the University of Pennsylvania and also the chair of Penn’s board of trustees, Scott Bok.  Under........

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