CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE; EDITS THROUGHOUT
By Zehra Nur Duz and Alperen Aktas
ANKARA/ISTANBUL (AA) – University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, who advocated freedom of expression in protests against Israel, resigned on Saturday as students demonstrated for weeks, calling for an end to the massacre of civilians in Israel.
During the Dec. 5 session titled, Holding Campus Presidents Accountable and Combating Antisemitism, at the US Congress Education and Labor Committee, Magill, along with Harvard President Claudine Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth, was called to answer questions about their approaches to antisemitic incidents on campuses.
The heads, who all started their terms last year, expressed their commitment to combating all forms of hatred and increase in Islamophobia and hatred towards Muslims.
For hours, they answered questions related to antisemitism, discipline activities against students, how universities represent different opinions, and campus security.
Magill explained that they were working on implementing a plan announced last month to combat antisemitism and emphasized their focus on security, interaction, and education.
Republican Congressman Bob Good asked Magill if there was a protest supporting the "killing of Muslims, destruction of Arabs, or a Muslim-majority state" on campus.
She said, to the best of her knowledge, there was no such thing and expressed her disgust for all hate activities, saying: "I abhor all hate activities."
She also published her statement on the university's official website.
Emphasizing that the university's approach to protests is determined by the US Constitution, Magill said: "We recognize the right of peaceful protest and assembly, and we give broad protection to free expression — even expression that is offensive. At the same time, we have zero tolerance for violence or speech intended to incite it."
Reminding that the university condemned Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, Magill said: "The loss of life and suffering that are occurring in Israel and Gaza during the ensuing war are heartbreaking. The pain extends to our campus. I know it from my daily conversations with our students, faculty, and staff, as well as parents and alumni."
Magill said protests, along with their consequences, have been a longstanding feature of university life and occur on campuses worldwide, referencing demonstrations in various parts of the world.
- Islamophobia discussion by Magill
She expressed her awareness that the discussion was centered on antisemitism. She, however, emphasized that both as a university and a society, they were confronting another noteworthy challenge. She noted a rise in instances of harassment, intimidation, doxing, and threats directed at students, faculty, and staff, particularly associated with their perceived Muslim, Palestinian, or Arab identities.
Magill shared that some of these individuals had lost family members in Israel's attacks on Gaza, expressing their concerns about the safety of their relatives in the region. She said that a significant number of them are concerned for their personal safety, particularly heightened by the distressing incident of three Palestinian students being shot in Vermont.
Magill highlighted the enhancement of safety and security measures for individuals and places of worship on campus, emphasizing the university's commitment to taking steps against all forms of hatred, including antisemitism and Islamophobia.
- Financial blackmail forcing resignation
Reactions to Magill were not limited to social media alone, and pressures grew to the extent of university donors threatening to withdraw their donations.
Ross Stevens, the founder and CEO of Stone Ridge Holdings Group and a donor to the university, sent a letter to the administration, threatening to reclaim the university's $100 million worth of Stone Ridge shares unless Magill was removed from office.
The letter also claimed that Magill's responses to questions about antisemitism in the commission were sufficient grounds for the cancellation of the donation.
The letter alleged that the university administration tolerated "hate speech calling for violence against Jews."
Following pressure and criticism, Magill stepped down on Saturday.
Magill, who began her tenure as the 9th rector of the university on July 1, 2022, graduated with a history degree from Yale University in 1988 and later earned a law doctorate from the University of Virginia Law School in 1995.
Having served as the vice rector at the University of Virginia and as the dean of Stanford University Law School, Magill achieved numerous successful contributions to academia.
"I write to share that President Liz Magill has voluntarily tendered her resignation as President of the University of Pennsylvania," Scott Bok, chair of the university's board of trustees, said in a statement shared on the university website.
She will remain a tenured faculty member at Penn Carey Law, Bok said, adding that Magill has agreed to stay on until an interim president is appointed.
"On behalf of the entire Penn community, I want to thank President Magill for her service to the University as President and wish her well," he said.
Bok, who also announced his own resignation in a separate statement, said Magill “made a very unfortunate misstep” but that she “is a very good person” and a “talented leader” and “not the slightest bit antisemitic.”
“Worn down by months of relentless external attacks, she was not herself last Tuesday. Over prepared and over lawyered given the hostile forum and high stakes, she provided a legalistic answer to a moral question, and that was wrong. It made for a dreadful 30-second sound bite in what was more than five hours of testimony,” he added.
- Role of Israeli lobby
Apollo Global Management, one of the largest financial institutions in the US, is under the leadership of Marc Rowan, the CEO of the private equity firm and chairman of the advisory board of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Rowan is recognized as one of the major donors and supporters of pro-Israel lobby organizations.
Founded in 1990 by Leon Black and Joshua Harris, Apollo is among the world's largest alternative investment funds, controlling assets worth $350 billion.
Rowan and Harris rank among the wealthiest individuals in the US, with the latter estimated to have a net worth of $7.27 billion and Rowan's assets are valued at $5.74 billion, according to Bloomberg's August 2021 estimates.
Known as one of the university's most significant benefactors, Rowan is speculated to have donated at least $50 million to the university to date.
In the US media, Rowan's name has surfaced in relation to lobbying groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and organizations such as the Democratic Majority for Israel, which aim to influence US politicians to allocate funds and provide weapons to Israel.
Within this context, the names of some billionaires who contribute to lobbying groups have also come to the forefront.
Notable among them are Robert Kraft, CEO of the New England Patriots and Kraft Group; Rowan, CEO of Apollo; venture capitalist Gary Lauder; hedge fund managers Daniel Loeb and Paul Singer; and Bernard Marcus, co-founder of Home Depot and founder-president of the Israel Democracy Institute.
Rowan was ranked at 31st place alongside Harris, one of Apollo's founders, in the Jerusalem Post's ranking of the world's 50 most influential Jews in 2021.
Rowan, who participates in some events and committees of AIPAC, also serves as the chairman of the board of directors of the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) New York Federation. UJA works towards the welfare of Jews worldwide and in New York.
At a donation event attended by Rowan on Dec. 5, a total of $45 million was raised.
Rowan also led the UJA's "Solidarity with Israel" march in New York on Nov. 6, where $150 million in donations was collected.
A prominent figure in the financial and political landscape of the US, Rowan, along with other influential figures, called for cutting support for the university until President Magill resigned, after her refusal to cancel the Palestine literature festival scheduled for Sept. 22-24, and her statements in the US Congress.
Numerous prominent figures joined in terminating their donations after Rowan's demand for Magill's resignation.
- Pressure from billionaire donors at the Wharton School of Business
Prominent figures who graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania constitute the university's major donors.
Due to the establishment of funds and prestige, Wharton has the ability to influence many activities at the university.
The Wharton Advisory Board, disturbed by the atmosphere created by university students expressing their reactions to the mass killings initiated by Israel in Gaza after Oct. 7, conveyed in a letter to Magill: "As a result of the University leadership's stated beliefs and collective failure to act, our Board respectfully suggests to you and the Board of Trustees that the University requires new leadership with immediate effect."
The letter called for Magill to clarify her position on calls for harm to any group of people from the university, referencing Magill's statements in the US Congress, and requested a change in policies that would allow such calls.
The board houses numerous billionaires such as Josh Harris, Alex Gorsky, Jeff Blau, David Blitzer, and Scott Mills.
- Threating to nullify $100 million investment in university
Meanwhile, Stevens, a graduate of the Wharton School of Business and the CEO of Stone Ridge Asset Management, conveyed in a letter to the University of Pennsylvania that he owns approximately $100 million worth of shares in his company.
Stevens said he was reviewing the partnership agreement and emphasized that his company had the authority to cancel agreements with shareholders who violate its rules.
Indicating that he could terminate the $100 million share agreement due to Magill's statements and activities, Stevens noted that he would take such action if there were no changes in the university's leadership and values.
- Head of Harvard University also under pressure
Separately, Harvard University President Gay is being pressured to resign after defending freedom of speech regarding allegations of antisemitism on campus during the hearing at the US Congress Education and Labor Committee. Some faculty members have signed a petition in support of Gay.
More than 500 faculty members of Harvard University have come together to sign a petition in support of Gay, calling for the strongest possible resistance against political pressures that contradict Harvard's academic freedom.
The panel, consisting of the president and members of Harvard University, which will ultimately decide on Gay's career, will convene on Monday.