Billionaire businessman Bill Ackman has slammed the president of Harvard for failing to attend Israel’s screening of footage from the October 7 Hamas attack even after he offered to fly her to her appearance before Congress the next day.
The hedge fund manager took aim at Claudine Gay over her ‘failed leadership’ and called the decision not to attend an ‘insult’.
Ackman, 57, offered to fly Gay to Washington D.C. immediately after the documentary is screened at Harvard, where she is due to testify to Congress about the explosion in anti-Semitism at the college.
But the university leader has declined the invitation, with her chief of staff stating she is ‘out of town’ in an email reply.
‘I can’t imagine anything more important for the Harvard President to do now than to bear witness to the atrocities before testifying about the Hamas protests and antisemitism on campus,’ Ackman wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Bill Ackman hit out at the University of Harvard’s president after she declined to attend Israel’s screening of the Hamas October 7 attack footage because she is out of town
Claudine Gay is due to testify at Congress about anti-Semitic incidents at her college the day after the screening
Ackman offered to fly Gay to Washington D.C. in time for her testimony before Congress but she declined the invitation
‘It may be true that she is “out of town” as I am sure she is flying to DC that day, but it sure sends a bad message to the students, the faculty, and the alumni community about the seriousness with which she is taking the issue of antisemitism on campus.
‘And it is an insult to the Israeli Ambassador who is flying to Boston just to present the documentary at Harvard.’
Ackman said he offered to provide dinner and a flight so the two could discuss the kinds of questions Gay may face at Congress on Tuesday.
However, gifts such as a this from a donor seeking to influence university policy may or may not be prohibited by school regulations.
Ackman previously threatened to pull his funding from the institution in response to Gay’s handling of anti-Semitic incidents on campus, which have soared in the wake of the Hamas attack and Israel’s subsequent bombardment campaign of Gaza.
On November 4 he wrote to Gay expressing his concerns, revealing he met with Jewish students who told him they have been spat on, subjected to anti-Semitic taunts and memes and physically assaulted in one instance, which he said was caught on video.
The clashes between Pro-Palestine and Pro-Israel supporters have resulted in The Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Education Department opening an investigation in to allegations of anti-Semitism at the school.
‘President Gay’s failed leadership in managing the impact of October 7th on campus in large part explains why antisemitism has exploded at Harvard,’ Ackman added.
The hearing on Tuesday will feature testimony from Gay MIT President Sally Kornbluth and UPenn President Liz Magill about the spike in anti-Semitic incidents on their campuses as Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestine supporters clash
Ackman branded Gay’s decision not to attend an ‘insult’ and said it sends a ‘bad message’ to her students
‘And she is also setting a bad example for other universities and institutions. We are sadly witnessing a grave failure of leadership at Harvard, one of the most important American institutions, at a critical time in its history.
‘Nearly a month has passed since I emailed it to her and the full board. Crickets.’
He compared Gay’s leadership with Dartmouth president Sian Beilock who he praised for ‘deftly’ handling Israel Palestine issues on her campus.
Gay has been summoned to Congress along with the heads of MIT and the University of Pennsylvania to testify about anti-Semitism as tensions on some campuses have surged in the wake of the terror attack.
The hearing will be held by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. In addition to Gay, MIT President Sally Kornbluth and Penn President Liz Magill will testify.
Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx, who chairs the committee, vowed to hold university leaders accountable for antisemitism at their colleges.
‘College administrators have largely stood by, allowing horrific rhetoric to fester and grow,” Foxx said in a statement.
‘College and university presidents have a responsibility to foster and uphold a safe learning environment for their students and staff. Now is not a time for indecision or milquetoast statements.’
The statement did not make any reference to investigating incidents of Islamophobia which have also surged amid the mounting tensions.