Having been enlisted among the best educational institutions multiple, Harvard University does not need any introduction. Founded in 1636, Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. However, Harvard University has been facing a backlash on social media and even among top American firms after its multiple student organizations accused Israel as the reason for the Hamas terror attack. The official letter of the Harvard Students organization blaming Israel solely responsible for Hamas terror attack fumed billionaire hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman & multiple CEOs of US companies.
Now, the question arises what is the Harvard-Hamas controversy and why the students of the prestigious university are facing ire of top CEOs of US companies? To know the answer continue reading-
What is Harvard-Hamas controversy?
Harvard-Hamas controversy erupted after billionaire hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman, an alumnus of the same Ivy League College, took to his official X handle and called out the college administration. To be precise, a large number of Harvard student organizations blamed Israel solely for the Hamas terrorist attacks that killed over 1,000 civilians, including women and children.
A joint statement by more than 25 student organizations said, "We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.
"Today's events did not occur in a vacuum. For the last two decades, millions of Palestinians in Gaza have forced to live in an open-air prison. Israeli officials promise to "open the gates of hell." and the massacres in Gaza have already commenced. Palestinians in Gaza have no shelters for refuge and nowhere to escape. In the coming days, Palestinians will be forced to bear the full brunt of Israel's violence.
The apartheid regime is the only one to blame. Israeli violence has structured every aspect of Palestinian existence for 75 years. From systematized land seizures to routine airstrikes, arbitrary detentions to military checkpoints, and enforced family separations to targeted killings. Palestinians have been forced to live in a state of death, both slow and sudden.
Today, the Palestinian ordeal enters into uncharted territory. The coming days will require a firm stand against colonial retaliation. We call on the Harvard community to take action to stop the ongoing annihilation of Palestinians."
Billionaire Bill Ackman slams Harvard & student groups supporting Hamas
After the joint statement went viral on social media, Bill Ackman wrote, "I have been asked by a number of CEOs if @harvard would release a list of the members of each of the Harvard organizations that have issued the letter assigning sole responsibility for Hamas’ heinous acts to Israel, so as to insure that none of us inadvertently hire any of their members.
If, in fact, their members support the letter they have released, the names of the signatories should be made public so their views are publicly known.
One should not be able to hide behind a corporate shield when issuing statements supporting the actions of terrorists, who, we now learn, have beheaded babies, among other inconceivably despicable acts."
Bill Ackman's advice to Harvard Students
Thereafter, Bill Ackman asked students to distant themselves if they do not agree with the joint statement. Below is what he wrote-
"Some advice for students: If an organization of which you are a member puts out a public statement you disagree with, you have a few choices. You can: Stay silent and have the entire world conclude that you stand by the statement. Convince the other members of the group to withdraw or otherwise modify the statement so that it can reflect the views of all members.
Or you can resign in protest. Claiming that you had no involvement or knowledge of the statement, but remaining a member of the organization without it withdrawing the statement is perhaps the worst of the alternatives, as it appears to simply be an attempt to avoid accountability while continuing to be a member of the organization. If you were managing a business, would you hire someone who blamed the despicable violent acts of a terrorist group on the victims? I don’t think so.
Would you hire someone who was a member of a school club who issued a statement blaming lynchings by the KKK on their victims? I don’t think so. Would you want them to be an associate at your law firm? Of course not. It is not harassment to seek to understand the character of the candidates that you are considering for employment.
In fact, as CEO, it is your obligation to do so on behalf of all of the other employees in your company, the clients and customers it serves, and all of your other stakeholders. I have heard that the above inquiry has made some members of the groups which put out the statement feel ‘unsafe,’ a word that is sadly overused in universities today.
Ask yourself how unsafe it would feel in Israel beginning Saturday early morning and how unsafe it feels now? Ask yourself how unsafe your Jewish classmates feel when 32 clubs published a statement assigning sole responsibility for the heinous, deathly acts of terrorists to Israel and the Jews? Experience is making mistakes and learning from them. If you have made a mistake, acknowledge it, and immediately correct your mistaken actions. Public statements made by organizations of which you are a member can have a material negative impact on your reputation. I have learned from experience that the best time to fix a mistake is now."
Who is Bill Ackman?
As per the information available, William Albert Ackman aka Bill Ackman, is an American billionaire hedge fund manager who is the founder and chief executive officer of Pershing Square Capital Management, a hedge fund management company.
His investment approach has made him an activist investor. As of June 2023, Ackman's net worth was estimated at $3.5 billion by Forbes.
As per Charlie Kirk, in February 2020, Harvard Business School got its largest ever gift, $200 million, from Leonard Blavatnik, a Ukrainian Jew. Bill Ackman, of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, has given tens of millions to Harvard.