Donors to some of the most prominent universities in the United States are now pausing contributions to the institutions due to their lackluster public support for Israel, as well as antisemitic sentiments within their student bodies.
Various charitable trusts and nonprofits have contacted university administrators as the schools neglect to publicly support Israel in their war against Hamas, an Islamic terrorist group based in Gaza which recently kidnapped and murdered several Israeli civilians. The silence also comes as leftist student groups host protests in support of the Palestinian side of the conflict.
The Wexner Foundation, launched by the billionaire owners of L Brands, said they would terminate their relationship with Harvard University following the school’s failure to denounce the attack on Israel. The group said in a letter that they have observed how the school’s “cherished tolerance for diverse perspectives has slowly but perceptibly narrowed over the years.”
The Wexner Foundation also mentioned the failure of Harvard to directly denounce antisemitism. “We are stunned and sickened at the dismal failure of Harvard’s leadership to take a clear and unequivocal stand against the barbaric murders of innocent Israeli civilians by terrorists last Saturday, the Sabbath and a festival day,” the organization continued.
The University of Pennsylvania has likewise come under fire for their lack of response to the Hamas attacks. Jon Huntsman, a former United States ambassador to Russia, China, and Singapore, said that his family would cease donations over the school’s silence.
“Moral relativism has fueled the university’s race to the bottom and sadly now has reached a point where remaining impartial is no longer an option,” he said. “Huntsman Foundation will close its checkbook on all future giving to Penn, something that has been a source of enormous pride for now three generations of graduates. My siblings join me in this rebuke.”
The University of Pennsylvania was meanwhile criticized for its affiliation with the Palestine Writes festival, which featured authors who have written antisemitic content. David Magerman, the founder of Renaissance Technologies, blasted the school for its “misguided moral compass” and said that he would no longer donate to the school, despite having been a major donor.
Magerman said he was “deeply embarrassed” over the last month to be associated with the school. “The leadership of the university has failed to demonstrate the values I expect from an institution that purports to educate young adults and prepare them for a lifetime of leadership and to be emissaries for good in the world,” he continued.