Donors pulling money from universities that refuse to condemn Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel 

Influential donors are severing ties with esteemed universities over their tolerance for students openly supporting the Hamas terrorist organization. 

The Wexner Foundation, a respected philanthropic entity focusing on Jewish leadership, has pulled its financial support from Harvard University after more than three decades of substantial support.  

“We are stunned and sickened at the dismal failure of Harvard’s leadership to take a clear and unequivocal stand against the barbaric murders of innocent Israeli civilians by terrorists last Saturday, the Sabbath and a festival day,” the letter read.  

“While we intend to develop new strategies and initiatives to develop Israel’s civil service leaders, The Wexner Foundation is formally ending its financial and programmatic relationship with Harvard and the Harvard Kennedy School.” 

The announcement comes after more than 1,000 Harvard students gathered in support of Palestinians, according to The Harvard Crimson. Previously, 34 student groups at Harvard endorsed a letter from the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee, holding Israel “entirely responsible for all unfolding violence” and calling for action to prevent what it called further Palestinian suffering. 

“The apartheid regime is the only one to blame,” the letter stated. “Israeli violence has structured every aspect of Palestinian existence for 75 years. 

“Today, the Palestinian ordeal enters into uncharted territory. The coming days will require a firm stand against colonial retaliation. We call on the Harvard community to take action to stop the ongoing annihilation of Palestinians.” 

Meanwhile, billionaire hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman and several other prominent business leaders urged Harvard to disclose the names of the students supporting the Palestinians.  

“I would like to know so I know never to hire these people,” Jonathan Neman, CEO of Sweetgreen, posted on social media.  

Despite such widespread backlash, Harvard’s President Claudia Gay refused to act.  

“Our university embraces a commitment to free expression,” Gay said. “That commitment extends to views that many of us find objectionable or outrageous. We do not punish or sanction people for expressing such views.” 

That freedom of speech, even to openly support a terrorist attack, hasn’t always been extended to others at Harvard. In the past, the university reportedly told students that failing to use a person’s preferred pronouns could be a violation of university policy, subjecting the student to disciplinary action, according to the Washington Examiner.  

Harvard labeled that action as “disrespectful” and punishable by admonition or even terminations, dismissal or expulsion.  

The Wexner Foundation is a benefactor of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center of Public Leadership.  

In addition, the foundation sponsors the Wexner Israel Fellowship, which supports “ten outstanding government and public service professionals from Israel annually as they pursue a one-year Mid-Career master’s degree in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School.”  

Leslie Wexner and his wife, Abigail Wexner, donated more than $42 million to Harvard University before 2012. One of the university’s main buildings is named after Leslie Wexner, according to The Harvard Crimson.  

Elsewhere, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan is calling for all donors to halt contributions to the University of Pennsylvania after a Palestinian literary festival was held on campus.  

Rowan and his wife Carolyn Rowan gave Penn $50 million in 2018 alone, the biggest single donation given to a university, according to Business Insider.  

“Microaggressions are condemned with extreme moral outrage and yet violence, particularly violence against Jews, antisemitism, seems to have found a place of tolerance on campus protected by free speech,” Rowan said during an interview with Squawk Box.  

“President [Liz] Magill is just not capable of exercising moral leadership here because she feels academic pressure, peer pressure. And it’s unfortunately the environment we live in on campus.” 

During the Palestinian literature festival one speaker wore a Nazi-style uniform and another called for the death of Israel, according to the New York Post. The festival received harsh criticism from prominent Jewish alumni, including Dick Wolf, producer of the television franchise Law & Order. 

Vahan H. Gureghian, a Penn trustee appointed by the state’s General Assembly, resigned from his position in protest, according to the New York Times.  

“Like so many elite academic institutions, the leadership of UPenn has failed us through an embrace of antisemitism, a failure to stand for justice, and complete negligence in the defense of its own students’ well-being,” Gureghian wrote.  

Magill released a statement on the university’s behalf addressing the concerns.  

“We unequivocally — and emphatically — condemn antisemitism as antithetical to our institutional values,” Magill wrote.  

“As a university, we also fiercely support the free exchange of ideas as central to our educational mission,” the administrators wrote. “This includes the expression of views that are controversial and even those that are incompatible with our institutional values.” 

Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. wrote a letter withdrawing the family’s financial support from Penn, his alma mater, due to the university’s soft stance on Hamas’ terrorist attacks. 

“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,” Huntsman wrote. “Silence is antisemitism, and antisemitism is hate, the very thing higher ed was built to obviate.  

“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.” 

The Huntsman family has donated millions to Penn state throughout the years. In 1998, Huntsman’s father donated $40 million dollars to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, according to Fox News.  

More than 4,000 UPenn alumni have signed an open letter calling for changes to be made at the university.