On October 23, 2023, former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan sent a strongly-worded letter to Harvard University President Claudine Gay, announcing his decision to officially withdraw from all Harvard fellowships this fall. Hogan cited anti-Semitism on campus in response to the war in Israel and Palestine as the reason for his decision, inviting a mixed response from his supporters online and the Harvard community.
Hogan’s letter regarded the University in an unfairly negative light by broadly painting the student body as anti-Semitic and unwilling to call out terrorism. When public figures make generalizations about Harvard and publish messages like Hogan’s letter, undue attention comes to our campus. This puts students—many of whom are already at risk—under additional fire.
Since the war in Israel and Palestine broke out last month, Harvard has become one of the most widely recognized epicenters of political tensions related to the conflict.
Co-signatories on the Palestine Solidarity Committee’s (PSC) controversial statement holding the “Israeli regime entirely responsible for all the unfolding violence” in Israel and Palestine have been the subjects of doxxing, death threats, and extremist protests. A mobile billboard in the Square, labeled a “doxxing truck”, recently displayed the names and faces of students affiliated with the statement, posing significant personal dangers to these students and their families. Students’ addresses and contact information were leaked, with some even losing job offers as a result of their support of the PSC’s statement.
Harvard students are not unique in their concern for the situation in Israel and Palestine. Just like any other school, Harvard contains a wide spectrum of opinions on the conflict, and protests on both sides mirror movements on campuses nationwide. Student groups published messages similar to the PSC statement at several other schools, including Columbia and NYU.
However, Harvard is unique in the amount of attention it has received from the media. With the University’s reputation, Harvard students are often put into a unique spotlight. In addition, many high-profile figures with large social media presences have personal ties to the University, from billionaire alumni to former Harvard president Larry Summers. When these public figures opine on Harvard’s Israel-Palestine climate, they bring more attention to campus tensions and have the subsequent potential to put students at risk.
Hogan is the latest such example of a public figure denouncing Harvard over the recent tensions. Before the war broke out, Hogan had accepted fellowships at both the Kennedy School and Chan School of Public Health, and in a letter posted on X, described himself as “looking forward to sharing leadership lessons with the next generation of leaders.” That all changed after the PSC statement went viral.
“Unfortunately, this letter is to officially inform you that I must regretfully withdraw my offer to participate in [my Harvard fellowships],” Hogan wrote. “I cannot condone the dangerous anti-Semitism that has taken root on your campus, especially by more than 30 Harvard student organizations attempting to justify and celebrate Hamas’ terrorism.”
Hogan acknowledged that students have a right to free speech, but took issue with the fact that the PSC statement was not directly and immediately addressed by the University. Contrary to Hogan’s implication, President Gay publicly distanced the University from the PSC and other student groups in a statement made after the initial PSC document, making it clear that no student organizations represent the administration.
Hogan’s depiction of the PSC’s statement representing Harvard in its entirety does not align with students’ reactions to the statement. While Hogan noted the large number of student organizations that signed the statement, he failed to acknowledge the several organizations that rolled back their signatures, and that many student leaders were unaware of their organization’s support for the PSC before the letter went public. Hogan did not mention that Harvard has student groups protesting in solidarity with both Israelis and Palestinians. Instead, he wholly labeled Harvard’s environment as “anti-Semitic” and called the University’s response to student activist groups a “moral stain.”
Basing their perception of Havard on messages like Hogan’s, onlookers would have a distorted perception of Harvard campus culture. Hogan’s supporters on the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter, responded to this withdrawal announcement post, commenting “Wake up, Harvard,” and calling Harvard “trash” and a “no-go zone” due to “woke extremism.”
The ever-mounting public criticism spurred by distorted statements like Hogan’s makes it intimidating for students to speak out on the conflict in Israel and Palestine. To protect their safety, students who have been involved in campus protests have been forced to conceal their identities out of fear of public scrutiny or violence.
Several students turned down requests to interview for this article, even under the condition of anonymity, citing intense anxiety over the tensions on campus. One undergrad student, who asked to remain anonymous, said of the media and corporate backlash, “It’s exaggerated the division of our student body more than what it would’ve been if we didn’t find ourselves in such a spotlight.” Universities should be safe and cooperative spaces for students to think and debate, and the spotlight of national attention puts undue pressure on students.
Though public figures like Larry Hogan are entitled to their own opinions and decisions, they must understand that a media spotlight inherently focused on Harvard contributes to an even more toxic campus environment. Though Harvard cannot monitor public opinion, those who have the platform to garner national interest must understand who they jeopardize when making such broad statements.Evan Odegard Pereira (eodegard@college.harvard.edu) writes Forum for The Independent.