Jackson Purchase News

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) criticized elite universities for their inadequate response to the alarming surge of anti-Semitic hate on their campuses. McConnell emphasized the need for universities to prioritize rigorous scholarly integrity, moral clarity, and a commitment to the even enforcement of free speech.

McConnell highlighted the actions of Harvard and Penn, stating that the universities only recognized the need for change after months of pressure from alumni and the public. However, he expressed disappointment that these universities have not truly internalized the lessons learned from the past few months.

He specifically called out Harvard for its new "Presidential Task Force on Combatting Anti-Semitism," which he found problematic due to the choice of a co-chair who has referred to Israel as a "regime of apartheid." McConnell also criticized Harvard for not terminating its exchange partnership with a West Bank university that glorified martyrs and had students implicated in planning a terrorist attack.

The Senate Republican Leader underscored the dangerous consequences of universities' inadequate responses to anti-Semitism. He cited a recent poll showing that one in five Americans between the ages of 18-29 doubts the occurrence of the Holocaust. McConnell attributed this disbelief to the influence of post-modern critical theory, which subjectivizes norms and challenges the notion of objective truth.

McConnell urged elite universities to take the issue of anti-Semitic hate more seriously if they hope to regain cultural authority. He emphasized the importance of confronting their role in the rise of anti-Semitic sentiment and addressing it with unwavering commitment.

In McConnell's words, "If these institutions ever hope to reclaim any mantle of cultural authority they once held, they might want to start with taking the world’s oldest form of hate a bit more seriously."