Thread by @KaminskiMed

I'm completely NOT on the manufactured rage bandwagon re the statements of MIT, Harvard, & Penn Presidents. In part because I actually heard their full testimony, but in part because I know what they did and what they did not do. Before you attack me read my 🧵 to the end 👇🏼

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I do want to start by reminding all that the University Presidents did NOT do:
- The University Presidents did not kill, rape or abduct Israelis on October 7th
- They also did not bomb Gaza or kill thousands of Palestinian children & innocent adults

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- The University Presidents did not ignore intelligence on a potential Hamas attack on southern Israel, or transfer Israeli military units from Southern Israel to support settlers' pogroms.
- The University Presidents did not perform terror attacks against Jews anywhere

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- The University Presidents did not shoot missiles or attack Israel from its borders with Lebanon or Syria
- The University Presidents did not ask Qatar to fund Hamas, in order to weaken the Palestinian Authority, prevent progress on a state

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- The University Presidents did not engage in a campaign to eliminate Israeli democracy, nor did they appoint racist ministers to the Israeli government.
In fact they NEVER did ANYTHING that undermined the security, safety and wellbeing of Israelis or Palestinians).

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What did they do?
The University presidents did their job.
They addressed the needs of multiple constituencies on their campuses, largely maintained their campuses safe, without overtly suppressing student expression,
while facing immense pressures, bullying

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Sadly the anguish experienced by students & communities, facing a rise in antisemitism &islamophobia, has been weaponized by bigots,populists & enemies of science & democracy to saw distrust, destroy US academia that peaked in a congressional hearing on December 6th

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You may have heard misrepresentations of the statements made by University Presidents. But fortunately, we have @cspan - so you can listen for yourself - here are the three opening statements:

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Listen to the statement by Claudine Gay, the President of Harvard. She states her objection to antisemitism, her shock at Hamas atrocities, the actions she took to secure the campus, with sincerity, courage & humility. Why did she deserve the hate? c-span.org/video/?c509672…

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Then, listen to the statement by Sally Kornbluth, the President of MIT (who is Jewish). It clear, sincere and powerful. And it makes you wonder why wasn't this statement highlighted? Why was she attacked? c-span.org/video/?c509687…

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And here is the statement by Elizabeth Magill, President of Penn, she also does not mince words; condemns Hamas atrocities and antisemitism and describes the action she took, Did she deserve to be humiliated, attached, and shamed?
c-span.org/video/?c509687…

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Truth is - none of these highly accomplished, superbly effective women academic leaders deserved this public shaming.
This was a highly orchestrated circus, in the tradition of the public hearings of the House Committee on Un-American Activities & the McCarthy Years.

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It is scary to think that people I know; honest, thoughtful, good people, join the bandwagon of hate against the women University Presidents.
Not because of things they did
But because of a perception of what they did not say.
I hope listening to them helps.
Fin