Harvard task forces find both Jewish and Muslim students faced discrimination

Two Harvard University task forces aimed at tackling antisemitism and anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias released preliminary recommendations Wednesday, finding discrimination faced by both Muslim and Jewish students.

The Presidential Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim and Anti-Arab Bias and the Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism both found Jewish and Muslim members of the Harvard community saying they have gone through “a state of uncertainty, abandonment, threat, and isolation, and a pervasive climate of intolerance” and faced “shunning, harassment, and intimidation.”

“People of color from other groups and identities — often Black and South Asian students – shared experiences of racism and hatred because they were allies, or because they were misidentified as Arab, Muslim, or Palestinian,” the task force on anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias’ preliminary recommendations read. 

“Muslim women who wear hijab and pro-Palestinian students wearing keffiyehs spoke about facing verbal harassment, being called ‘terrorists,’ and even being spat upon,” the recommendations continued.

On the other hand, the recommendations by the task force on antisemitism said that Israeli students have faced “dire” conditions. 

“They have frequently been subject to derision and social exclusion,” the recommendations read. “Discrimination, bullying, or harassment based on an individual’s Israeli nationality is a gross violation of University policy and, beginning immediately, must be both publicly condemned and subject to substantive disciplinary action.”

Tensions between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel factions on American college campuses erupted amid the current war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Pro-Palestinian protestors on campuses faced accusations of antisemitism, which they pushed back on. 

“The work ahead of us will require concerted effort. As both task forces work towards final recommendations, their preliminary recommendations offer a path forward,” Harvard’s interim president, Alan Gerber, said in a message Wednesday. “We will commence detailed review and implementation of the shorter-term recommendations over the summer.”

Updated on June 27 at 9:40 a.m. EDT