WorldWide News Outlet
It is a toxic mix: at universities, the anti-Israel mood has partially radicalized, the Trump government is motivated for every witch hunt. Under the pretext of fighting anti -Semitism, Donald Trump takes three of the best universities in the world. Harvard is currently affected: Nine billion dollars of public funds have been “under review” since Monday. It is de facto checked whether the university behaves. Some of the top institutes have maneuvered themselves in this dilemma.
Harvard thus shares fate with the New York Columbia University, who also threatened Trump with the withdrawal of money. The University of Pennsylvania, another American elite university, is also affected. The aggressive approach of the US government is seen by critics as an attack on the freedom of science and teaching. In contrast, the fact that the rectors of the three affected universities had to testify before the US Congress at the end of 2023. When asked whether the call to kill Jews was covered by freedom of expression, Harvard director Claudine Gay replied at the time, the hanging “from the context”. She then stepped back.
The emigration of three prominent scientists also made headlines: historian Timothy Snyder, Easter Europe expert Marci Shore and fascism researcher Jason Stanley leave Yale and go to Canada.
The fascism researcher Stanley commented on the political situation in the United States with drastic words. When asked whether he would speak of fascist conditions in the country, he said: “Yes, of course. What terms should we use otherwise?” Fascism is not just a dirty word, but a concept that helps to understand reality. “And what we see now – that’s fascism.”
Shore, which is married to Snyder, told the newspaper “Toronto Today”, both the city of Toronto and the Munk School there are very attractive places. “But of course the American disaster played a role in our final decision.” She fears that there will be a civil war. Stanley said “ZEIT ONLINE” that he decided to leave Yale when Columbia University “demonstrated that they are cowards.” There was no legal basis for the threat of government to delete federal funds. “It was pure chicane. And what does the Columbia do? You obey everything that is challenged.” A university lives from freedom. “If I would teach on the Columbia today, I would know: a wrong word about the government or Israel – and I would be gone.”