Billionaire Abandons Harvard Board Following Disappointing Reaction to Anti-Israel Letter

Idan Ofer, an Israeli shipping tycoon, and his wife Batia have resigned from their positions as board members at Harvard’s Kennedy School. They have taken this step in protest against what they believe is the university’s inadequate response to a letter from student organizations. The letter placed sole blame on the Israeli government for the recent attack by Hamas operatives, resulting in the deaths of over 1000 individuals. Their primary source of dissatisfaction lies in the delayed and unsatisfactory reaction from Claudine Gay, the university’s president.

According to the Hebrew-language news site, TheMarker, the couple stated that they quit the board “in protest of the shocking and insensitive response by the president of the university, who did not condemn the letter by student organizations that blamed Israel for the massacres.”

The New York Post reported that Claudine Gay has faced criticism from Harvard alumni, including former school president Larry Summers, who expressed their disappointment in the delayed response from her office regarding the student letter.

The controversial letter, as reported by The Guardian, was signed by approximately 30 Harvard student organizations and was released following the coordinated attacks. These attacks resulted in the deaths of more than 1000 individuals, including hundreds of festivalgoers and at least 25 Americans. President Joe Biden has described this as the “deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.”

The letter states that these groups hold the Israeli regime solely responsible for the ongoing violence. It highlights the plight of millions of Palestinians who are confined to an “open-air prison” with no means of escaping retaliatory air strikes. These strikes, conducted by the Israeli military, have resulted in the deaths of over 1000 individuals and forced many more out of their homes as entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble.

In conclusion, the couple’s resignation from Harvard’s Kennedy School board reflects their dissatisfaction with the university’s response to a letter from student organizations blaming Israel for the recent attacks. The controversial letter accuses the Israeli government of sole responsibility for the violence and calls for the Harvard community to take action to prevent further harm to Palestinians.