Harvard University recently announced the formation of a task force aimed at combating antisemitism on campus.
Sounds great, right? Not quite.
The co-chair of this newly appointed Presidential Task Force, Derek Penslar, does not apparently have much of an affinity for Jews.
In his 2023 book, “Zionism: An Emotional State,” Penslar asserted, “veins of hatred run through Jewish civilization” and criticized Israel for its actions towards Palestinians, writing, “Israel’s dispossession of Palestinians from their land and oppression of those who remain have made it one of the most disliked countries on the planet.”
He also wrote about “Jewish culture being steeped in fantasies (and occasionally, acts) of vengeance against Christians.”
The task force’s creation came as Harvard University was still dealing with the aftermath of the resignation of its former president, Claudine Gay. Interim President Alan Garber emphasized the need to address antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents on campus and understand the reasons behind them. However, Penslar’s appointment raises concerns due to his past statements downplaying campus antisemitism.
In August 2023, Penslar signed a letter from Academics4Peace, which criticized Israel as a “regime of apartheid” and accused it of “Jewish supremacism” and attempting to “ethnically cleanse all territories under Israeli rule of their Palestinian population.”
The controversy surrounding the task force adds to Harvard’s existing challenges, as the university has faced a series of antisemitic incidents since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel in October 2023. This situation has led to donor revolts and a congressional inquiry into Harvard’s response.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
7 Responses
so the task force against antisemitism is run by an antisemite!
Give Harvard the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the antisemitism taskforce is meant to promote antisemitism not combat it. If so, Dr. Penslar is an excellent choice. Maybe Kanye is available to join?
One can almost say this is as funny as it is sad!
bravery and kudos to this amazing gentleman….no where in history do we have a break…..either Christian or Muslim harasss us….shameful on them not a jew…..just read the story of the Rambam who lived and ran from a country jews lived in 1700 years….this jew..wont even give kudos to a christian or a muslim to a human being the giving continues___shameful America….what a horror story the Beit Din of Biden is…..shameful that jews live in his home….take their jewishness from them
You failed to mention that he is a “Professor of Jewish History” at Harvard. So it is a case of the fox investigating raids on the chicken coop.
Who is shocked?
It’s par for the course that Harvard’s antisemitism task force co-chair is himself an antisemite. It doesn’t make me fall off my chair.
It’s the same as the UN Human Rights Council which is comprised of representatives from countries that are the world’s worst human rights abusers.
Another idiot employed by Harvard to teach evil idiocy to its students.