The head of Harvard's anti-Semitism task force, Derek Penslar, reportedly stated that it would not be “appropriate” for him to speak on a panel on anti-Semitism.
Penslar was previously scheduled to appear on a Center for Jewish History panel titled “What is Anti-Semitism? Definitions and Debates” in New York City on Sunday. However, once the panel began, moderator Gavriel Rosenfield announced that Penslar would not be attending and instead read a statement from the Harvard professor.
“I am aware of my role as co-chair of the Harvard Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism,” Penslar reportedly said in the statement. “And given that I was invariably asked at the symposium to talk about what's happening at Harvard, and given that the task force is only now being formed and its action plan is being formed, it would not be appropriate for me to make public comments in this moment.”
Several pro-Palestinian protests and demonstrations have occurred at Harvard since the October 7 Hamas attack. (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)
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The panel aimed to address “difficult challenges such as identifying the line between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, determining the differences between freedom of expression and hate speech, and deciding the appropriate role that universities should play in addressing these highly contentious issues.”
Earlier this month, Harvard interim president Alan Garber announced Penslar, a professor of Jewish history, as co-chair of a “presidential task force” aimed at combating anti-Semitic acts across campus in the wake of the terrorist attack on Hamas against Israel on October 7. .
This decision faced widespread backlash after critics noted that Penslar was one of more than 2,800 academics, clergy and other public figures who signed an open letter written by the group Academics4Peace in August.
Harvard interim president Alan Garber announced a task force on antisemitism earlier this month. (Paul Marotta/Getty Images)
The letter stated that the Israeli government intends to “ethnically cleanse all territories under Israeli rule of their Palestinian population,” stating that “Palestinians live under an apartheid regime.”
“Meanwhile, American Jewish billionaire financiers help support the Israeli far right,” it said.
In a recent book titled “Zionism: An Emotional State,” Penslar also wrote that “Jewish culture was permeated by fantasies (and occasionally acts) of revenge against Christians.”
Another passage read: “Israel's dispossession of Palestinians of their land and oppression of those who remain have made it one of the most unpleasant countries on the planet.”
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President of Harvard. Claudine Gay was also criticized for claiming that calling for a genocide of Jews would only violate the code of conduct depending on the “context.” (Getty Images)
Harvard has come under intense scrutiny after a series of anti-Semitic protests and statements condemning only Israel for the attack that killed more than 1,000 Israeli citizens.
Former Harvard President Claudine Gay also came under fire after testifying before Congress that it would depend on “context” whether calling for the genocide of Jews would violate the campus code of conduct.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Penslar and Harvard University for comment.
