‘Defund Harvard’ over failure to tackle anti-Semitism, says GOP

The move follows the university president Claudine Gay’s refusal to unequivocally condemn anti-Semitic rhetoric at congressional hearing

The Republican Party has called for Harvard to be defunded over its failure to tackle anti-Semitism on campus.
The Ivy League university stands to lose billions of dollars in federal grants and tax breaks after its president, Claudine Gay, appeared before congress and refused to confirm whether anti-Semitic rhetoric would be sanctioned.
More than 70 senators, as well as Harvard donors and alumni, called for Ms Gay to resign, but Harvard’s board decided she would remain in her job.
Now Elise Stefanik, the congresswoman who questioned university presidents over antisemitism on campus, has said the US government should defund Harvard because Ms Gay refuses to resign.
“We must defund the rot in America’s higher education,” Ms Stefanik said. “It is unacceptable and un-American that any taxpayer dollars are going to universities propping up their promulgation of anti-Semitism by supporting professors, students and staff, many who have openly called for the genocide of Jews.”
Harvard gets a raft of federal payments and tax breaks because of its elite status. They include breaks from capital gains tax, bond payments, corporation tax and tax on dividend income.
The institution benefits from more than $2 billion in virtually tax-free investments and $676 million in federal government grants.
It also enjoys the tax-deductible status of donations, making it a lucrative option for philanthropic donations from wealthy individuals and alumni. These gifts have enabled its endowment to reach just under $51 billion.
Ms Gay, who is the first black person to hold the post of Harvard president, came under fire last week after testifying to Congress that calls for the genocide of Jews may only be considered against the university’s bullying and harassment policy “depending on the context”.
Amid widespread calls for her resignation, Ms Gay apologised for her remarks, admitting that “words matter” and she had “failed to convey what is [her] truth”.
Similar comments from Liz Magill, the president of the University of Pennsylvania, resulted in her resignation on Saturday, amid pressure from donors who said they would withdraw their funding if she remained in post.