A Harvard graduate student is suing the university over its handling of anti-Israel agitators and the rise in antisemitism on campus, which he describes as a "feature" of the Ivy League school.
In a scathing op-ed, Harvard Divinity School student Shabbos Kestenbaum accused the university of dismissing safety concerns of Jewish students while caving to an anti-Israel mob that has expressed anti-democratic, anti-American, anti-capitalist, and antisemitic views.
"It's a damning condemnation, and it's also a damning indictment that for a Jewish American in 2024 to receive equity, equality, or justice, they have to go to Congress, and they have to file lawsuits because we are not able to get that at our own university," Kestenbaum said on "America Reports."
Kestenbaum testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government about his allegations against the school, accusing interim President Alan Garber of failing to enforce policies against antisemitism and holding people accountable.
He pointed to the fact that Harvard had agreed to concessions for anti-Israel agitators in return for them dismantling a protest encampment ahead of commencement, a move he called "rewarding bad behavior."
"We had these Harvard Hamas homeless shelters on campus for the past three weeks where students violated school policy chanting calls of ethnic genocide against Jewish people, vandalizing school property," Kestenbaum said. "And Alan Garber, the president of Harvard University, just yesterday said that he's going to negotiate with them and he's going to give them a seat at the table so that they can talk about divesting from Israel, they can talk about having a Palestinian study center at Harvard."
Kestenbaum expressed concern about the future of the country, given the attitudes he has witnessed on campus.
"Harvard purports to train the next generation of American leaders: presidents, politicians, thought leaders," Kestenbaum said. "If my classmates, if my professors are those next-generation leaders, we are at a very, very scary point in our country, because it’s not just antisemitism — they're anti-American."
Harvard has filed a motion to dismiss the suit, claiming its commitment to combatting antisemitism and ensuring the safety of Jewish students. However, Kestenbaum remains adamant that the university must do more to address the problem.
"If Harvard wanted to change, if they wanted to combat antisemitism, they would’ve done it already," Kestenbaum said. "There is nothing preventing them today from implementing policies that will combat antisemitism and discipline antisemitic students and professors, but time and time again, they’ve shown they are either unable or unwilling to do anything to help their Jewish students."
The rise in antisemitism on college campuses has become a growing concern, with many students feeling unsafe and unprotected. Kestenbaum's lawsuit is a bold step to hold universities accountable for creating environments where Jewish students can feel safe and respected.
