Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., publicly disavowed his alma mater Harvard on Wednesday because of its inability to deal with campus antisemitism following months of mounting tension.
During his commencement address at Yeshiva University, a private Orthodox Jewish university in New York, Fetterman dramatically removed the academic stole representing Harvard after he was bestowed with Yeshiva's "Hero of Israel" award, the school’s highest honor.
"I have been profoundly disappointed [in] Harvard’s inability to stand up for the Jewish community after Oct. 7," Fetterman said, New York Jewish Week reported.
Fetterman has stood out among his Democrat colleagues for his unwavering support of Israel in its war against Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
"Personally, I do not fundamentally believe that it is right for me to wear this today," he said as he removed the red stole from his shoulders from Harvard’s traditional graduation robes.
Harvard has faced intense criticism for its inability to address rampant campus antisemitism Hamas' Oct 7 terrorist attack in southern Israel. In April, protesters demanding that Harvard divest from corporations with ties to Israel formed an encampment in Harvard Yard.
The demonstration lasted 20 days and ended earlier this month when Harvard announced it reached a settlement with the group Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine (HOOP).
Harvard President Claudie Gay resigned in January after weeks of pressure following her congressional testimony regarding the school’s response to 30 Harvard student groups that published a letter holding Israel "entirely responsible" for the Oct 7 attack. Gay had also been accused of plagiarizing several academic papers.
"The Jewish community everywhere deserves our support," Fetterman said. "And I promise you will always have mine."
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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