'Let me help you': Elon Musk lampoons heads of Harvard, MIT, Penn varsities for antisemitism on campus

Elon Musk, the owner-CTO of X has lambasted the presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after they declined to denounce the calls for violence against Jews in their respective campuses, during their Congressional questioning.

Musk, who himself was accused of anti-Semitism a few weeks ago, for posting his support for a different antisemitic post, blasted the three heads of the university for trying to sound politically correct and trying to find nuance in something like genocide.

Let me help them out here: “Calling for the genocide [death] of anyone obviously constitutes harassment.” https://t.co/GH7lXLxxd6

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 6, 2023

The inquiry, led by the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce, delved into their responses to alleged antisemitic incidents following the Israel-Hamas conflict triggered by Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel and subsequent military actions in Gaza.

The aftermath of the October 7 events has sparked nationwide tensions, leading to protests and instances of violence in the United States. Reports indicate a significant surge in both antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents since the conflict unfolded.

A recent joint report by the Anti-Defamation League and Hillel International revealed a notable decline in the sense of safety among Jewish students on campuses. Prior to October 7, a majority felt physically and emotionally secure, but those numbers have dropped to 46% and 33%, respectively.

Harvard’s Claudine Gay, UPenn’s Elizabeth Magill, and MIT’s Sally Kornbluth, who assumed their presidential roles either this year or the last, testified for several hours. They condemned the rise in antisemitic incidents and defended their administrations’ responses. Notably, the education leaders acknowledged the parallel surge in Islamophobia and committed to addressing various forms of hate.

During the congressional hearing on antisemitism, the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and Penn faced a crucial question regarding their university’s stance on calling for the genocide of Jews. The question from Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, sought to determine whether such calls violated the respective university’s code of conduct or rules against bullying and harassment.

The responses from Presidents Gay, Magill, and Kornbluth, as detailed in tweets by Bill Ackman, indicated a concerning moral stance. The response from the university leader, perhaps intended to be nuanced, ended up being tone-deaf, and highly problematic. The three basically said, “Depends on the context” and if the speech transforms into actual conduct, specifically the act of killing Jews.

Sharing Ackman’s post, Musk wrote emphatically, “Calling for the genocide [death] of anyone obviously constitutes harassment.”

This exchange, characterized by the presidents’ conditional responses, has been described as potentially one of the most extraordinary testimonies in Congress, particularly on a topic as grave as genocide.

(With input from agencies)