The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) president has issued another statement on the Israel-Hamas war as donors continue to exit the university en masse.
President Liz Magill issued a statement on Wednesday decrying hateful and divisive actions which have spread throughout the campus in the wake of the conflict, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian. She emphasized that “hateful speech has no place at Penn.” (RELATED: Penn President Only Referred To Hamas As Terrorists After Major Donor Said He Would Stop Giving Money)
“In this tragic moment, we must respect the pain of our classmates and colleagues and recognize that our speech and actions have the power to both harm and heal our community,” she wrote, the outlet noted. “We must choose healing, resisting those who would divide us and instead respect and care for one another.
BREAKING: President Liz Magill addressed the Penn community for a third time since the start of the ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas, warning that hate speech is not tolerated amid recent rallies in solidarity with Israel and Palestine. https://t.co/oSAtCzimm8
— The Daily Pennsylvanian (@dailypenn) October 18, 2023
An avalanche of prominent donors have sent letters to the university, saying that they would pull back funding over the administration’s response to the terror attacks against Israel. Jon Huntsman Jr., a former U.S. ambassador worth a reported $1 billion, sent a letter to Magill decrying the “moral relativism” the university exhibited between Israel and Hamas. David Magerman, a computer scientist who helped create the trading systems behind Renaissance Technologies, wrote that he was “deeply ashamed” of the university and that he would never “donate another dollar.”
Student protests supporting Palestine have rocked campuses nationwide. These protests have roiled alumni, donors, and students, causing many to publicly condemn their respective institutions for not taking stronger stances in favor of Israel. Top law firm Davis Polk rescinded employment offers for Harvard and Columbia students who signed onto anti-Israel statements in the wake of the Hamas terror attacks.