Friends star slams ‘morally bankrupt’ university presidents

Schwimmer posted ‘Silence is complicity’ when university presidents refused to declare outright that calls for Jewish genocide violated their institutions’ code of conduct.

By Vered Weiss, World of Israel News

David Schwimmer, a star of the iconic 90s hit sitcom Friends voiced his criticism on Instagram over the unwillingness of university presidents to answer questions about antisemitism on campus.

Responding to The House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s hearing, titled “Holding Campus Leaders Accountable and Confronting Antisemitism,” Schwimmer posted “Silence is complicity” when the presidents of Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, and MIT refused to declare outright that calls for Jewish genocide violated their institutions’ code of conduct on harassment.

None of the three presidents–Claudine Gay of Harvard, Elizabeth Magill of Penn, and Sally Kornbluth of MIT  was able to give a definitive answer, with most saying it would depend on the context, if the statements led directly to physical action or if they were directed at an individual rather than a group.

Schwimmer posted, “These morally bankrupt Presidents of @Harvard, @uofpenn, and @mit testify before congress. Incapable of answering even the most direct ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions.”

He continued, “Watch them duck and smirk at the unbridled anti-Semitism and calls for genocide on their campuses.”

“Where is the outrage among students, faculty, and alumni demanding their resignations, an official apology, and enforcement of the codes of conduct? …silence is complicity.”

After a furor arose following the university presidents’ refusal to provide direct condemnation of Jewish genocide statements, the University of Pennsylvania President Elizabeth Magill resigned Saturday night.

Trying to quell the controversy, Magill attempted to walk back her statements in a filmed statement days after the hearing.

Despite this, Magill announced her resignation with the statement, “It has been my privilege to serve as President of this remarkable institution. It has been an honor to work with our faculty, students, staff, alumni, and community members to advance Penn’s vital missions.”

She did not address the controversy directly in her resignation.