Harvard University in Boston is under investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Education for its "failure to respond to complaints of harassment of Jewish and Israeli students."
Pro-Palestinian demonstration at the University of Michigan // Archive | Reuters
In light of a series of incidents of harassment and discrimination against Israeli and Jewish students at Harvard, the Ministry of Education announced that it would investigate the matter with the university authorities. The investigation was opened following a complaint by a university graduate who complained to the Ministry of Education due to mounting testimonies about students who are harassed because of their origins.
In one case, which was documented and made viral, a series of pro-Palestinian demonstrators inside the campus prevented a Jewish student from walking and even flanked him from all sides in a disturbing and violent manner. The Israeli MBA student was filmed walking alone and suddenly surrounded by violent demonstrators wearing keffiyehs and masks that prevent him from continuing to walk on campus while shouting "shame" at him. An investigation by the FBI and the university's policing department was also launched.
Students in the United States wave a sign against Israel. DeSantis orders it to stop, Photo: AFP
The reports about the investigation came against the backdrop of a congressional education committee hearing in which the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and Pennsylvania universities were invited to the hearings in light of the violent demonstrations that took place on campuses after the Hamas massacre.
These are three of the most sought-after and prestigious universities in the United States that are facing widespread public criticism due to the lack of clear condemnation of pro-Palestinian activity in their fields, along with testimonies from Jewish students who raise concerns for their personal safety as a result. Some universities initially refused to issue a condemnation of the terrorist attack, and only after a long wait did they issue clarifications or weak condemnations.
FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., photo: AP
Shortly after the Hamas attack, a series of Harvard student organizations issued an anti-Israel statement blaming Israel for the terrorist attack. Subsequently, Jewish and Israeli philanthropists withdrew their donations from the university's various schools as a protest against the conduct of the prestigious institution.
Meanwhile, since the beginning of the war against Hamas, there have been a series of violent demonstrations against Jewish students throughout the country. About a month ago, students wearing a skullcap were forced to "barricade" themselves inside the library of Cooper Union College in New York after anti-Israeli demonstrators crowded the library's doors. Only after security forces arrived did the students leave the college compound safely.
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