A group of CEOs are demanding Harvard University identify students whose organizations signed on to a letter blaming solely Israel for the deadly attacks by terrorist organization Hamas, CNN reported.
Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer
The business leaders – among them, billionaire hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman – want the names so they can blacklist the individuals from being hired. Others involved in this pursuit are the CEOs of Pershing Square Capital Management, shopping club FabFitFun, health tech startup EasyHealth, Dovehill Capital Management, and restaurant chain Sweetgreen.
“One should not be able to hide behind a corporate shield when issuing statements supporting the actions of terrorists,” Ackman said in a social media post.
Sweetgreen CEO Jonathan Neman said: “I would like to know so I know never to hire these people.”
This demand comes after the release of a joint statement from the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups – a coalition of Harvard student groups – following the Hamas attacks that have killed more than 1,000 Israelis and at least 14 American citizens.
“We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence,” the statement said, adding that millions of Palestinians have been “forced to live in an open-air prison” and calling on Harvard to “take action.”
Some of the groups involved – at least five of the original 34 signatories – have since withdrawn their endorsements after the criticism. Students have cited reasons such as miscommunication, lack of due diligence, lack of decision-making power, and not being aware of the letter’s content.
