A 300-page report by Harvard University, published in April 2025, reveals a disturbing picture of rising anti-Semitism, encompassing harassment, institutional failures, and ideological bias. The document details instances of harassment of Jewish students, from ignoring anti-Jewish remarks at graduation ceremonies to faculty members supporting anti-Israel protests at the expense of academic neutrality. The report is Harvard’s attempt to understand how one of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions has become a centre of hostility towards Jews.
Compiled exclusively by internal university experts, the report is thorough but restrained. Critics say it focuses too much on defining anti-Semitism, avoiding the strong reactions demanded by the abuses described. These include the silence of the administration when a graduation speaker resorted to anti-Jewish stereotypes, the intimidation of Jewish students by fellow students, and the weakening of the disciplinary system when punishments for infractions were massively abolished in July 2024. The report’s recommendations, including diversity training, new courses on Judaism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and clearer rules for civil discussion, are sincere but do not address the root causes of the problem.
Harvard President Alan Garber, who took office after the scandalous dismissal of his predecessor, Claudine Gay, introduced a number of reforms: centralising disciplinary procedures, abolishing ethnic-based graduations, and refusing to make political statements. However, the problem of anti-Semitism at Harvard is deeper than administrative corrections can address. The report hints at a broader cultural crisis: a university environment where identity politics, fuelled by activist think tanks and weak leadership, has fostered hostility towards Jews.
This crisis is not unique to Harvard. It reflects the global rise of anti-Semitism, often disguised as anti-Israel rhetoric, which finds fertile ground in academic settings. The report notes how “extremist hatred of Israel” is intertwined with anti-Semitic stereotypes, a dynamic familiar to those who have observed tensions in Ukraine, Israel, and elsewhere. Harvard’s struggle mirrors debates at other Western institutions where free speech, academic freedom, and the limits of protest collide with the need to protect minorities.
The situation is complicated by external pressure from the Trump administration, which is using Harvard’s problems to advance a broader anti-university campaign. The five-page demand letter threatens to strip Harvard of contracts, tax breaks, and academic autonomy, suggesting an ideological realignment that undermines meritocracy and academic freedom. Critics believe that this approach is not aimed at combating anti-Semitism, but at destroying elite institutions. The administration’s rhetoric of “terror” and “reconstruction” evokes destruction rather than reform, threatening long-term damage to higher education.
For Ukraine and Israel, where Jewish communities face existential threats, the situation at Harvard is instructive. In Ukraine, anti-Semitism persists against the backdrop of war, while in Israel it fuels global narratives that isolate the state. The Harvard report underscores the need for institutions to confront prejudice openly, without succumbing to politicised pressure. As Ukraine struggles to defend its identity and security, and as Israel confronts international criticism, it is worth paying attention to Harvard’s example: only bold, principled reforms can stop deep-seated hostility.
A word to the readers of Time Ukraine Israel: The Harvard crisis is not just an American story. It is a reminder that anti-Semitism, wherever it manifests itself, requires not only words but also actions. Ukraine and Israel, which know the price of the struggle for existence, should support institutions that stand up to hatred and at the same time demand real accountability from them.
Author: Aleksandr Potetiuiev
