Following its Palestinian Writes Literatures Festival held from September 22-24, an event at which over 100 writers, artists, and filmmakers convened and spoke on its campus, the University of Pennsylvania has faced significant backlash because of the festival’s alleged antisemitism. Some of the festival’s creators are known to be openly antisemitic, yet they were still welcomed. Two weeks later, the Hamas-Israel war broke out. Donors and funders of the school are now withdrawing their contributions after the school’s failure to speak on the situation and the inappropriateness of some of the guests.
In the wake of the conflict in the Middle East, the university was rather quiet when it came to announcing its support and understanding of the situation. With the previous festival, people have taken it upon themselves to assume that the school does not stand with Israel or condemn Hamas’s actions.
Only a week ago, on October 15, did the President of the University speak on the catastrophe. Her letter, “A message from President Liz Magill on the terrorist attacks in Israel,” found on the Penn Today website, shares her delayed address. “Violent atrocities against civilians,” and “no justification for these heinous acts” are some of the phrases she used to describe the position of Hamas. “At Penn, we are confronting these events in the wake of recent antisemitic acts on campus and individuals, with a public history of speaking out viciously against the Jewish people, appearing on campus as part of the Palestine Writes Literature Festival,” Magill said. Her awareness of the events mentioned in her letter before the festival did nothing to prevent the university from welcoming these creators to express their abhorrent views on Jewish people.
Magill’s actions have angered many alumni, donors, and parents of students at the university alike. Ronald Lauder, billionaire philanthropist and one of the two heirs (alongside his brother Leonard Lauder, also an alumnus of school) of the Estee Lauder Cosmetic Company, has been the latest to announce his skepticism towards continuing his funds towards UPenn. President of the World Jewish Congress since 2007 and possessing a net worth of $4.6 billion dollars according to Forbes Magazine, Lauder expressed to CNN his dismay at the university: “I have spent the past 40 years of my life fighting antisemitism around the world and I never, in my wildest imagination, thought I would have to fight it at my university, my alma mater and my family’s alma mater.”
Lauder is not alone though. Other powerful people who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania have decided to drop their funding as well, including former US Ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr. Son of Jon Huntsman Sr., the founder of the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business at UPenn, Jon Huntsman Jr. sent a letter to President Magill informing her of his and his family’s resignation from funding. “Consequently, Huntsman Foundation will close its checkbook on all future giving to Penn—something that has been a source of enormous pride for now three generations of graduates. My siblings join me in this rebuke.”
In terms that many alumni can agree upon, Huntsman wrote his feelings on the development of the modern-day culture surrounding the university: “To the outsider, it appears that Penn has become deeply adrift in ways that make it almost unrecognizable. Moral relativism has fueled the university’s race to the bottom and sadly now has reached a point where remaining impartial is no longer an option. The University’s silence in the face of reprehensible and historic Hamas evil against the people of Israel (when the only response should be outright condemnation) is a new low. Silence is antisemitism, and antisemitism is hate, the very thing higher ed was built to obviate.”
Other donors, such as David Magerman, posted on Twitter that he will no longer support the university: “I am deeply ashamed of my association with the University of Pennsylvania. I refuse to donate another dollar.” Marc Rowan, co-founder and CEO of Apollo Global Management, also pulled away from sending funds to the university. Since then, he has also asked for Scott Bok, the chief executive of Greenhill and chair of UPenn’s trustees, as well as President Magill, to step down from their positions.
While the two refuse to resign from their positions, Vahan Gureghian, a now former trustee of the university, is asking among other former donors for Bok and Magill to do what they are told. “It’s a gigantic operation. Some people aren’t up for that job. Maybe we picked the wrong person. Maybe it’s time for her to go. I think it is,” Gureghian told CNN.
While the University of Pennsylvania is facing multitudes of backlash, other prestigious universities are facing the same problem due to their silence as well. As the world moves forward, more and more donors are pulling away from these universities as the Hamas-Israeli war continues.
