Harvard President Refuses to Give Yes or No Answers When Grilled on Whether Jewish Students Can ‘Feel Safe and Welcome’ on Campus

Harvard University President Claudine Gay refused to give a yes or no answer to Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) on Tuesday after he asked her if she could look a Jewish student’s family in the eye and tell them that their son or daughter “would feel safe and welcome” on campus.

As Gay testified before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Kiley asked the Harvard University president whether she would acknowledge that anti-Semitic incidents had occurred on Harvard’s campus.

“I have been talking with students over the last couple of months, and they have shared searing testimony about some of the things that they have experienced,” replied Gay, to which Kiley said:

And I’m glad you’ve made that outreach, but if you were talking to a prospective student’s family, a Jewish student’s family right now, could you look them in the eye and tell them that their son or daughter would be safe and feel safe and welcome on your campus?

After Gay began to respond, “We are absolutely committed to student safety–” Kiley interrupted, “Yes, but I didn’t ask that question about your commitment. I said, could you look them in the eye right now, the family of a prospective Jewish student, and assure them that their son or daughter would feel safe and welcome on your campus?”

“We are taking every step to ensure their physical and their psychological safety,” answered Gay.

Kiley pressed, “So yes or no to my question, though? Did you want to the answer it?”

Following a brief pause by Gay, Kiley concluded, “I guess not.”

“I already answered your question,” Gay replied.

The congressman went on to ask Gay whether she would want “an avowed neo-Nazi” to be “part of the Harvard community,” to which the Harvard president said, “Those are not consistent with Harvard’s values, but at the same time, we allow a wide berth for free expression and a variety of views.”

“Would you want someone who has called for the eradication of the Jewish people to be part of the Harvard community?” questioned Kiley.

Gay reiterated, “Again, those are not consistent with Harvard values, where we are committed to making no space on our campus for anti-Semitism.”

Next, Kiley questioned, “Would you want someone who has called for the elimination of the state of Israel to be part of the Harvard community?” to which Gay, again, replied, “There is no place at Harvard for anti-Semitism.”

“You’re not answering my questions very well, Dr. Gay, so I’ll move on,” Kiley concluded.

Watch above via C-SPAN.