Donors at Harvard University (photo) the oldest of the major higher education institutions in the US, founded 140 years before the country itself cut their donations after 34 student organizations released a statement attacking Israel.
In the statement, the Harvard students claim that Israel’s “apartheid regime” is “the sole culprit” for the violence that has hit the country in recent days, even after the brutal attacks by the terrorist group Hamas, in which more than 1,300 Israelis, mostly civilians, were killed on October 7th.
On Monday (16), former Victoria’s Secret CEO Leslie Wexner announced the end of the partnership between his NGO, the Wexner Foundation, and the university. Earlier, on Friday (13), Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer, owner of an estimated fortune of $20 billion, resigned from the board of Harvard University.
In a letter marking the end of the partnership, the Wexner Foundation criticized the university’s reluctance. “We are shocked and outraged by the disgraceful failure of Harvard leadership to take a clear and unambiguous stance on Israel’s barbaric murders of innocent civilians,” the NGO says, adding that condemning the student organizations “should not have been that difficult.” .
Although the proHamas students released their statement on the 7th when the bodies of the murdered civilians had not even cooled the institution actually did not issue an official statement until three days later.
“Our university rejects hatred against Jews, against Muslims, against any group of people because of their faith, their nationality or any aspect of their identity,” Harvard President Claudine Gay said on March 10.