January 1, Harvard Alum Al Gore ‘Shocked’ At University President’s ‘Tone-Deafness’ During Antisemitism Hearing

Former Vice President Al Gore criticized Harvard President Claudine Gay’s “tone-deafness” during last week’s congressional testimony on antisemitism. Gore, a Harvard alumnus, expressed his shock at the university leadership’s comments during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.

Gore said, “I was shocked by the tone-deafness of those comments. And I think they got bad legal advice in putting together what they were going to say … they certainly do need to clarify that.”

He added, “We need to respect one another in our country and when statements of the kind that were — they were asked about come out, we need to stand against them and stand firm as Americans for respect for all of the communities that make up America.”

Gay, along with the presidents of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Pennsylvania, testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday about rampant antisemitism on their campuses following Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks on Israel. They faced sharp criticism and calls to resign under fierce Republican questioning about the rise of antisemitism.

During the House hearing titled, “Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism,” Gay shared a tense exchange with Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik.

Stefanik challenged Gay to answer whether a “Harvard student calling for the mass murder of African-Americans is not protected free speech at Harvard, correct?” and asked if she was familiar with the term “intifada.”

Gay said she considered that type of hateful speech “personally abhorrent” and admitted that speech calling for intifada, and therefore genocide against the Jewish people in Israel and around the world, was “at odds with the values of Harvard.”

However, she was not specific when Stefanik asked if those sorts of remarks were against Harvard University’s code of conduct.

University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill resigned Saturday after days of criticism following her Congressional hearing.

Stefanik applauded the move and posted on social media, “This is only the very beginning of addressing the pervasive rot of antisemitism that has destroyed the most ‘prestigious’ higher education institutions in America.” She also called on “@Harvard and @MIT” to “do the right thing. The world is watching.”

Magill and Gay both attempted to walk back their rhetoric after they were hit for their comments during the testimony.

Why It Matters (op-ed)

Al Gore’s criticism of Harvard President Claudine Gay’s “tone-deafness” during the congressional hearing on antisemitism is a much-needed wake-up call. University leaders must not only condemn antisemitism but take decisive action against it.

The fact that Harvard’s president struggled to clarify her stance on hateful speech is deeply concerning. University campuses should be safe spaces for students of all backgrounds, and leaders must ensure that hateful ideologies do not take root.

This incident highlights the need for universities to address the rise of antisemitism head-on. It’s time for institutions like Harvard and MIT to take a stand and demonstrate that they will not tolerate such hatred on their campuses.

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