Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a Harvard graduate, has been challenged by his Republican opponent, Kari Lake, to weigh in on the antisemitism scandal that has engulfed the Ivy League university.
Gallego hasn’t taken a stand on whether President Claudine Gay should resign following dramatic testimony last week before Congress when she refused to say whether calls for the genocide of Jewish people violate the campus’s code of conduct.
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More than 70 members of Congress urged Gay and university presidents who testified at the hearing to resign in a letter led by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and signed by mostly Republicans.
Gallego is currently in a high-stakes battle for an Arizona Senate seat in 2024 held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), who left the Democratic Party last year to become an independent. Sinema has not yet decided whether she will run for reelection.
Lake, a polarizing conservative running for the Republican nomination in the race, called out Gallego for refusing to condemn Gay’s testimony.
Harvard President Claudine Gray disgraced herself, & her university, by refusing to condemn violent antisemitism & calls for genocide against Jewish students on her campus.
It should be met with universal condemnation.
But @RubenGallego, class of 04, remains silent. He refuses… https://t.co/Jr6ypjpFVB
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) December 8, 2023
“Harvard President Claudine Gray disgraced herself, & her university, by refusing to condemn violent antisemitism & calls for genocide against Jewish students on her campus,” Lake posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It should be met with universal condemnation. But @RubenGallego, class of 04, remains silent. He refuses to condemn her antisemitism.”
The National Republican Senatorial Committee is also slamming the congressman for staying away from the topic.
“Ruben Gallego is so beholden to the far left fringes of his party that he can’t be bothered to join over 70 members of Congress in condemning the president of his alma mater’s disgraceful testimony and refusal to resign,” said Tate Mitchell, an NRSC spokesman. “With rampant antisemitism on display on college campuses, Gallego’s silence speaks volumes.”
Despite calls for her resignation, Gay will stay in her role after the university’s main governing board issued a statement unanimously affirming its support for her on Tuesday. Gay has been under fire not just for her response to antisemitism at the House Education and Workforce Committee hearing but also for recent allegations of plagiarism.
Sinema also has not specifically commented on the testimony from the college presidents, but in a post on X praised her alma mater, Arizona State University, for standing in support of Israel.
“My alma mater @ASU is a founding member of the US university coalition standing in support of Israel. @uarizona is also a founding member,” she wrote. “Parents, send your kids to Arizona colleges. We aren’t confused about genocide or hate speech; we know it’s wrong.”
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Gallego’s campaign did not respond to questions about Gay’s testimony. In the past, Gallego has been outspoken, reaffirming his support for Israel, condemning Hamas, and standing against antisemitism.
The Arizona congressman has previously criticized controversial comments made by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) about Israel and the conflict, although he voted no on censuring Tlaib like most Democrats.
