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In response to UPenn hosting the upcoming Jew-hating, Israel-bashing, Jew-killing-promoting “Palestine Writes” conference, featuring a convicted terrorist, terror-supporters, and some of the biggest antisemites and in the world, University of Pennsylvania’s President Elizabeth McGill, Provost John Jackson Jr. and Dean of Arts and Sciences Steve Fluharty refused to end UPenn’s support for this conference that endangers Jewish students; and refused to even CONDEMN this conference and its murderous speakers by NAME. Instead, UPenn’s leadership self-righteously proclaimed: “we fiercely support the free exchange of ideas as central for our educational mission. This includes the expression of views that are controversial and even those that are incompatible with our institutional values.”
Really? In fact, UPenn’s “fierce support” for free expression is very selective: UPenn apparently embraces free expression for anti-Jewish terrorists and those who accuse Jews and Israel of heinous blood libels and call for anti-Jewish violence and Intifadas (deadly terror wars against Jews).
But free expression of controversial views is not guaranteed for others at UPenn who express non-violent, and hence less dangerous “views that are controversial and incompatible with our institutional values,” such as Professor Robert Mundheim of law at UPenn Law School, Professor Dr. Amy Wax, M.D., J.D. (Note that ZOA is not saying that ZOA agrees with Professor Wax’s views.)
Indeed, The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) named University of Pennsylvania one of the “10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech in 2023.”
Professor Wax’s controversial statements resulted in UPenn taking actions against her – never mind UPenn’s supposed “fierce support for the free exchange of ideas as central to [UPenn’s] educational mission.” UPenn should surely, at a minimum, be taking the same actions against the terror-soaked “Palestine Writes” conference:
Necessary Prophylactic Removal: In a 2017 interview off campus on the Glenn Loury show, Professor Wax said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Black student graduate in the top quarter of the class, and rarely, rarely in the top half.” Law School Dean Theodore Ruger’s July 23, 2022 twelve-page report initiating processes for further sanctions against Prof. Wax explained that: “Wax’s conduct [the above comments] necessitated prophylactic policy removing her from teaching required courses [in 2018].”
So why isn’t UPenn likewise doing far-more-“necessary prophylactic removals” of the terrorists, terror supporters, inciters of murdering Jews, and vile antisemites at the “Palestine Writes” hate-fest? Why isn’t UPenn likewise doing the very “necessary prophylactic removal” of the bigoted event itself that is going to spew anti-Jewish bile and incitement this coming Yom Kippur weekend?
Investigations and Further Sanctions: In January 2022, in a letter exchange on Glenn Loury’s website, Prof. Wax wrote another controversial statement “In my opinion, the Democratic Party is a pernicious influence and force in our country today. . . . I confess I find Asian support for these policies mystifying, as I fail to see how they are in Asians’ interest. . . . But as long as most Asians support Democrats and help to advance their positions, I think the United States is better off with fewer Asians and less Asian immigration.”
In response, U Penn hired the Quinn Emanuel Law firm (which has a blended lawyer rate of $1,033 per hour) to do an extensive investigation, including interviewing students, alumni and faculty. The interviewees reported that Prof. Wax’s comments made them feel that they were “not good enough” or marginalized, etc. UPenn Law School also previously hired the former Dean of the Northwestern University Law School, Daniel Rodriguez, to investigate Professor Wax. In addition, UPenn Law School Dean Ted Ruger issued his 12-page report to initiate further sanctions against Prof. Wax.
So why isn’t UPenn likewise hiring major law firms to investigate the supporters, departments involved, organizers and speakers at “Palestine Writes” – especially when this hate-fest is making Jewish students fearful of going to synagogue or even revealing their Jewish identity? Why isn’t UPenn initiating sanctions against the departments and supporters of the “Palestine Writes” hate-fest?
UPenn’s antisemitic double-standard is mind-boggling, hypocritical and frightening.
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