MIT alum who fled Soviet antisemitism urges school to fire president: 'Like 1988 all over again'
Edward Cotler called on his alma mater to remove President Sally Kornbluth over her Capitol Hill testimony
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Two elite U.S. institutions are facing mounting pressure to remove their presidents ov over their testimony at antisemitism hearings on Capitol Hill last week, where university leaders were accused of turning a blind eye to campus threats against Jews.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) alum Edward Cotler, a first-generation American who fled antisemitism in the Soviet Union at the age of seven, is among those concerned. He, along with hundreds of other MIT alums and Jewish allies, are rebuking the school and demanding it take action.
"President Kornbluth's failure to control antisemitism on MIT's campus has distracted MIT students and administration from MIT's core mission. We are alarmed to observe MIT earning a national reputation for antisemitism on President Kornbluth's watch," a scathing letter signed by the critics read.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dr. Claudine Gay, President of Harvard University, Liz Magill, then-President of University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Pamela Nadell, Professor of History and Jewish Studies at American University, and Dr. Sally Kornbluth, President of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, testify before the House Education and Workforce Committee at the Rayburn House Office Building on December 05, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Cotler, speaking to FOX News on Thursday, said the antisemitism in the U.S. is eerily reminiscent of what his family escaped years ago.
"It feels like 1988 all over again," he told "FOX & Friends First" co-host Carley Shimkus.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I was born in a country where Jews weren't allowed to take swimming lessons because there were just not enough spots in the pool, and you couldn't give it to Jews," he continued.
"Then you come to America, the land of opportunity… I am the success story of the American dream. I feel very grateful to be an American, very proud, and to have what's going on at MIT, where Jews are actively being discriminated against and threatened, it's just horrible."
Cotler came to the U.S. in 1989 and was educated in New York City public schools before attending MIT.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}DEM LAWMAKER BLASTS HARVARD'S FREE SPEECH HYPOCRISY: ‘CANCEL CULTURE IS THE DOMINANT NORM’
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who grilled university officials during questioning on antisemitism, speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Education on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
He described himself as a "proud alumnus" and said he has volunteered for the institution for 20 years. Antisemitism concerns, however, have left him looking for change.
"Our message to the MIT administration and to the world is that we are looking for change in moral clarity at MIT," he said. "We can't have MIT the way it is… we're asking for change. We're asking for them to step down or be fired as a result of their actions and, frankly, as a result of their inactions in curbing antisemitism on campus."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The school's administration took heat after failing to condemn President Sally Kornbluth's remarks during testimony.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., asked Kornbluth, "Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate MIT’s code of conduct or rules regarding bullying and harassment? Yes or no?"
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kornbluth replied, "If targeted at individuals not making public statements."
She went on to say she had not heard of anyone on campus calling for the genocide of Jews.
"But you've heard chants for intifada," Stefanik said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I've heard chants which can be antisemitic depending on the context when calling for the elimination of the Jewish people," Kornbluth replied.
Harvard President Claudine Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth testified at a House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing last week to discuss antisemitism on their campuses. (Getty Images)
Cotler, on Thursday, expressed the need for more leaders who can "come out against genocide."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"That's a basic standard," he said.
In a previous statement to Fox News Digital, an MIT spokesperson said, "MIT and our president, Sally Kornbluth, reject antisemitism in all its forms," and pointed to a statement from the school's governing board which read the following:
"The MIT Corporation chose Sally to be our president for her outstanding academic leadership, her judgment, her integrity, her moral compass, and her ability to unite our community around MIT’s core values. She has done excellent work in leading our community, including in addressing antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate, which we reject utterly at MIT. She has our full and unreserved support."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, approved a resolution calling on the presidents of Harvard and MIT to resign with a vote of 303-126. It required two-thirds to pass, or 290 votes.
UPenn President Liz Magill resigned over the weekend following a fierce backlash from alumni and donors.
FOX News' Danielle Wallace and Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
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