After hearing on anti-Semitism: US university president resigns This is what Palestinians really think about Hamas

After severe criticism for her actions at a Congressional hearing on anti-Semitism at elite US universities, University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill is drawing personal consequences. As the university announced on Saturday, the 57-year-old lawyer is stepping down as president. She is voluntarily resigning from her position but will remain a permanent member of the law faculty, it was said. No reason was initially given.

Magill was summoned to a hearing in the US Congress on Tuesday, along with the presidents of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The backdrop is anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents at the facilities since the Islamist Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 – which all three presidents also acknowledged. But they defended themselves against accusations that they were not doing enough to combat anti-Semitism on campus.

One scene in particular in the Republican-led Education Committee sparked outrage. Representative Elise Stefanik asked the presidents whether the “call for genocide against the Jews” at their universities violated anti-bullying and harassment policies. “That may be the case, depending on the context,” Harvard President Claudine Gay responded. When asked to answer “yes” or “no,” Gay again said it depends on the context.

The other presidents have made similar statements. “If speech turns into behavior, it can be harassment,” Magill said – also adding: “It’s a context-dependent decision.” The lawyer later tried to explain: she said that in her answer at the hearing she had focused on her university’s long-standing policy, which states that speech alone is not punishable – as stated in the constitution.

The pressure on Magill has increased enormously in recent days. In addition to calls for his resignation on campus, there were also strong reactions from politicians. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro called her comments unacceptable and shameful. A major donor to the University of Pennsylvania withdrew a donation of about 100 million dollars (about 93 million euros) – and also called for his resignation.

The dispute over the conflict in the Middle East has also erupted at universities and schools in the US in recent weeks. American media reported incidents of physical violence or the threat thereof. Anti-Semitic and racist graffiti appeared on school grounds. Videos circulating online showed young people tearing down posters with photos of the Hamas hostages.

The US Department of Education had launched an investigation into anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents at American educational institutions, including Harvard, and the elite universities Columbia and Cornell. (sda/dpa)