Harvard University President Alan Garber issued a formal apology Tuesday as the Ivy League institution committed to new steps aimed at addressing antisemitism on campus.
As reported by The Independent Journal Review, the announcement follows mounting pressure from Congress and the Trump administration after the university initially refused federal directives calling for immediate reforms.
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Garber’s statement came in response to the findings of a 311-page report compiled by a university task force focused on “combating antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias.”
The report revealed that over 25% of Jewish students felt physically unsafe on campus, while nearly 60% reported experiencing discrimination, stereotyping, or negative bias.
“The 2023–24 academic year was disappointing and painful,” Garber said in a university-wide message.
“I am sorry for the moments when we failed to meet the high expectations we rightfully set for our community.”
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Garber noted that the school is “reviewing recommendations concerning admissions, appointments, curriculum, and orientation and training programs” to address the concerns highlighted in the report.
The task force found that several Harvard departments, instructors, and academic centers were viewed by students and staff as promoting anti-Israeli critiques that “blend into animosity towards Jews.”
In addition to the antisemitism report, the university released a separate review on anti-Muslim bias.
That report concluded that advocates for Palestinian rights felt “increasingly marginalized,” and documented incidents of doxxing, physical assaults, and online harassment.
Garber pledged that Harvard “cannot—and will not—abide bigotry” and committed to increasing safety and free expression on campus.
“We will redouble our efforts to ensure that the University is a place where ideas are welcomed, entertained, and contested in the spirit of seeking truth.”
The renewed effort to address antisemitism follows Harvard’s rejection of the Trump administration’s April 11 demands, which included disciplinary reforms, improved international student vetting for hostile ideologies, and an audit of programs with “egregious records of antisemitism.”
Harvard declined, citing academic freedom and First Amendment protections.
In response, the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism—comprising the Department of Education, Department of Justice, and Department of Health and Human Services—immediately revoked more than $2 billion in federal grants from the university.
A university spokesperson later stated, “Harvard has never rejected its obligation to combat antisemitism.”
The controversy grew further in September 2024, when a congressional investigation concluded that Harvard failed to enforce meaningful discipline on nearly 70 students who organized a pro-Hamas encampment during the spring semester.
The protests disrupted classroom instruction and involved the occupation of a campus building.
Other elite institutions, including Columbia University, agreed to the administration’s demands more quickly after facing similar funding cuts.
Harvard’s internal investigations and public commitments come amid broader national scrutiny over how universities are responding to rising antisemitism and anti-Israel activity on campus.
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