New Harvard president condemns 'flagrantly antisemitic cartoon' shared by pro-Palestinian faculty account

Harvard University "unequivocally" condemned an Instagram post shared by an account belonging to a pro-Palestinian Harvard faculty group it said contained "deeply offensive antisemitic tropes." 

The account "Harvard Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine" (FSJP) took heat Monday for sharing a post on Instagram that included an image of an old antisemitic propaganda poster depicting Jewish masters controlling people of African descent.

The university put out a statement denouncing the post on Monday, stating the account shared "despicable messages" that "have no place in the Harvard community."

The school's interim president Alan M. Garber reiterated the statement and slammed the social media post as "flagrantly antisemitic" in a message to the Harvard community on Tuesday.

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An Instagram account run by pro-Palestinian Harvard faculty took heat this week after sharing a post containing antisemitic imagery. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

Shabbos Kestenbaum shared the image of the Instagram post to X on Monday, declaring, "Harvard *faculty* just posted an explicitly antisemitic poster depicting a Jewish hand controlling the black mind. With professors like these, it’s easy to see why we Jewish students don’t feel safe in class."

Kestenbaum’s post was viewed nearly two million times in 24 hours, with other outraged users trashing the Harvard faculty’s post. 

Billionaire and Harvard alum Bill Ackman ripped it, posting, "This is grim," while X owner Elon Musk reacted with a lone "!"

"Human Events" columnist Adam Coleman shared the post, writing, "If you understand how leftist ideologues think, none of this should be surprising."

And the X account for pro-Israel organization, the Simon Wiesenthal Center remarked, "Old anti-Jewish tropes recycled at @Harvard no less. What will new administration do about the latest poison canard?"

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In its Monday press release responding to the post, Harvard said, "The University is aware of social media posts today containing deeply offensive antisemitic tropes and messages from organizations whose membership includes Harvard affiliates. Such despicable messages have no place in the Harvard community. We condemn these posts in the strongest possible terms."

"This matter is being reviewed by the University and is being referred to the Harvard College Administrative Board, which is responsible for the application and enforcement of undergraduate academic regulations and social conduct," the statement continued, adding, "Harvard rejects antisemitism in all of its forms. We are determined to combat any such hate and bias in our community."

Harvard FSJP responded to the outrage Monday afternoon and shared a post on Instagram, stating, "It has come to our attention that a post featuring antiquated cartoons which used offensive antisemitic tropes was linked to our account. We removed the content as soon as it came to our attention. We apologize for the hurt that these images have caused and do not condone them in any way."

The post added, "Harvard FSJP stands against all forms of hate and bigotry, including antisemitism."

The pro-Palestine Harvard account deleted and apologized for the post shortly after sharing it on Instagram. (Boston Globe/Contributor)

In his message the following evening, Garber wrote, "A few groups purporting to speak on behalf of Harvard affiliates recently circulated a flagrantly antisemitic cartoon in a post on social media channels… While the groups associated with the posting or sharing of the cartoon have since sought to distance themselves from it in various ways, the damage remains, and our condemnation stands."

Garber continued, "Perpetuating vile and hateful antisemitic tropes, or otherwise engaging in inflammatory rhetoric or sharing images that demean people on the basis of their identity, is precisely the opposite of what this moment demands of us."

"The members of the Corporation join me in unequivocally condemning the posting and sharing of the cartoon in question. The University will review the situation to better understand who was responsible for the posting and to determine what further steps are warranted," he said.

He added, "Reckless provocation draws attention without advancing understanding. Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Palestinian, and Arab members of our community have reported feeling targeted, rejected, and ostracized." He urged his school community to "approach one another with compassion, open minds, and mutual respect, our discourse grounded in facts and supported by reasoned argument."

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The now-deleted Instagram post stated, "African people have a profound understanding of apartheid and occupation." It continued, "The historical roots of solidarity between Black liberation movements and the Palestinian liberation began in the late 1960s. This period was marked by a heightened awareness among Black organizations in the United States."

One of the posters featured depicted a Black man and what appeared to be a Palestinian or Arab man, both with rope around their necks being held by a hand with a Star of David with a dollar sign on it.

Behind the two captive men was the arm of a person of color representing the "Third World" swinging a sword – which had "Liberation Movement" written on it – at the rope, in an apparent act to free both from bondage at the hands of their Jewish masters. 

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Antisemitism has been a major issue on American college campuses in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack in Israel, especially at Harvard. Pro-Palestinian Harvard students and faculty have demonstrated on behalf of the Palestinian cause, with many of the protests including antisemitic language and displays. 

Former Harvard President Claudine Gay recently resigned from her role after multiple scandals, including being accused of not doing enough to make Jewish students on campus feel safe while these demonstrations were happening. 

Harvard University did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.