Fetterman slams Harvard for hosting Palestinian professor who blamed Israel for Oct. 7 Hamas attacks

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Harvard under new fire for antisemitism task force pick

Harvard law student Jonathan Frieden weighs in after a professor who previously signed a letter accusing Israel of wanting to ethically cleanse Gaza was picked for the university's antisemitism task force. 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is slamming Harvard for hosting a Palestinian professor who has blamed Israel for the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. 

The Democratic lawmaker said he was "truly appalled" that Harvard’s Kennedy School would platform Dr. Dalal Saeb Iriqat, a columnist and associate professor at Arab American University Palestine. 

Dr. Iriqat is scheduled to speak at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs on March 7 for a seminar series called "Middle East Dialogues." 

"I am truly appalled that the Kennedy School would platform an individual who celebrates and justifies Hamas’ October 7th killing of Israeli citizens—babies, children, the elderly, and the systemic rape, mutilation, and torture of young girls and women," Fetterman said. 

Fetterman added that "this hate has absolutely no place in any sanctioned dialogue. Decency would demand it relegated to the sewer of social media fringe."

"As an alumni and a member of the United States Senate, 25 years later, it’s hard to recognize my former university," he said. 

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Iriqat drew controversy for her statements downplaying the Hamas attack on Israel and blaming the Israeli government for the bloodshed on October 7, when 1,200 people were killed after Hamas terrorists infiltrated the country.

Dalal Saeb Iriqat Supporters of Palestine gather at Harvard University to show their support for Palestinians in Gaza at a rally in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 14, 2023. (LinkedIn | Getty Images)

"Today is just a normal struggle 4 #Freedom," Iriqat posted on X on Oct. 7, as Israelis near the border with Gaza cowered in their homes while terrorists went door-to-door butchering people.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Dr. Iriqat and Harvard for a response. 

In an online statement, Harvard said the event’s organizer, Professor Tarek Masoud, chose and invited the speakers for the series himself. 

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"The purpose of the series is to provide a venue for debate and discussion, recognizing that different views will be offered and challenged—including views that many at the Kennedy School and beyond may disagree with vehemently and even find repugnant," Harvard said. 

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) speaks to reporters before a Senate luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on December 12, 2023, in Washington, DC. Fetterman spoke on military aid to Ukraine. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The school noted that Dean Douglas Elmendorf finds Iriqat’s quotes personally "abhorrent."

The speakers in the "Middle East DIalogues" series will include Jared Kushner, a former senior adviser to President Donald Trump; Matt Duss, former foreign policy adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Salam Fayyad, former Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority; and Einat Wilf, a former member of the Israeli Knesset.

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Harvard said all speakers must answer unfiltered questions from the audience as well as by the faculty member who invited them. An invitation to speak at the Kennedy School never implies an endorsement of a speaker’s views by the Kennedy School or members of the Kennedy School community. 

Fox News' Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.