Concerns Over 'Employment Blacklist'... Harvard Students in the US Withdraw Consecutive Condemnations of Israel

At Least 5 of 34 Signatory Groups Withdraw
Response After 'Hedge Fund Tycoon' Posts on SNS
Former Harvard President Larry Summers Urges Petition

Harvard University students in the United States who issued a statement blaming Israel for the attack by the Palestinian armed group Hamas are changing their stance amid public criticism. As warnings emerged that students who participated in the statement were placed on Wall Street's 'hiring blacklist,' efforts to manage the situation are unfolding belatedly.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to CNN and Fox News on the 11th (local time), at least five of the 34 Harvard student groups that recently signed a statement asserting that "the Israeli regime is fully responsible for the recent violence" have withdrawn their support.

Some student groups announced their withdrawal on social media and apologized for their participation in the statement. The Harvard Nepal Student Association stated, "We regret signing the statement, which can be interpreted as tacit support for the recent attacks in Israel," emphasizing, "We condemn Hamas's airstrikes and clearly support peace."

Following the controversy after the statement's release, the student group that led the effort changed individual students' names to private and revised the statement, according to the Harvard Crimson, Harvard University's campus newspaper. They said, "This statement was co-authored by the Harvard Palestinian Solidarity Alliance, and for the safety of students, the names of the groups originally listed will not be disclosed at this time."

The reason Harvard students changed their stance appears to be due to the significant controversy following the statement's release. In particular, as news spread that Wall Street, a preferred workplace for students after graduation, placed them on a hiring blacklist, they seem to be responding urgently.

Bill Ackman, chairman of Pershing Square Capital and a major figure in the hedge fund industry, mentioned the Israel-critical statement on his social media on the same day, saying, "Many CEOs are seeking the list of student groups to ensure they do not hire Harvard graduates who participated in the Israel-critical statement." He added that students hiding behind groups to conceal their names should not be allowed.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

After Ackman posted on social media, CEOs of several companies, including shopping club FanFitFun, health tech startup EasyHealth, and Dove Hill Capital Management, expressed agreement. Jonathan Neman, CEO of the restaurant chain Sweetgreen, also posted on his social media that he is identifying the list and intends never to hire them.

However, as the situation escalated, Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary and former Harvard University president, called for calm. Known as a Romanian Jewish descendant, he previously criticized the student groups on the 9th, saying, "I have never felt such a sense of disillusionment and alienation in the past 50 years," drawing public attention to the Harvard statement.

He posted again on his social media, stating, "Many affiliated with this student group did not see the statement before it was made public. Some did not fully understand what they were agreeing to when signing." He added, "Perhaps some were simply naive and foolish." He continued, "Now is not the time to spend time vilifying individuals," and expressed regret that such an incident occurred.

Law professor Lawrence Tribe of Harvard agreed with Ackman's opinion but stated he would not participate in efforts to disclose students' names. He told CNN, "Many students involved in this statement probably did not even know it existed," adding, "Although they were naive and foolish, permanently punishing them by revealing their names is an overreaction."

A similar situation occurred at New York University. Lina Workman, president of NYU Law School's student council, recently sparked controversy by claiming, "Israel is fully responsible for this tremendous loss of life." Subsequently, Workman received a job offer cancellation from a law firm, and the student council initiated impeachment proceedings against her. The law firm Winston & Strawn, which canceled her employment, stated on social media, "His views seriously conflict with the company's values, leading to the cancellation of his employment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.