Matan Yaffe, an Israeli graduate student at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, encountered unexpected hostility related to his identity. Yaffe, a founder of Desert Stars, an NGO aiding Israel's Bedouin community, arrived at Harvard in June 2022 with high hopes of enhancing his skills to further his mission. However, his experience in Professor Marshall Ganz's "Organizing: People, Power, Change" course quickly took a troubling turn.
Yaffe and two other Israeli classmates proposed a project focused on fostering unity within Israel as a liberal Jewish democracy. Professor Ganz allegedly deemed their project "offensive," taking particular issue with the phrase "Jewish democracy" and comparing it to "White supremacy." Bound by a recent settlement between Harvard and the Brandeis Center, Yaffe cannot directly discuss Professor Ganz, although the professor is named in the lawsuit.
Yaffe, a former IDF officer, was shocked by the comparison, especially given his work towards a more inclusive Israeli society. He questioned the professor's logic, pointing out that numerous countries define themselves based on religion or ethnicity. The meeting ended with Yaffe labeling the professor's behavior as antisemitic.
Subsequently, Yaffe and his classmates felt silenced in the course. When they attempted to respond to criticisms of Israel from another student, they were allegedly told they had "done enough damage." Despite this, they organized a dinner for their classmates to discuss Israel openly, which Yaffe considered a success. However, they were the only students denied the opportunity to present their project to the class and received lower-than-expected grades.
Motivated to protect other students from similar experiences, Yaffe joined a lawsuit against Harvard. An independent investigation confirmed a "hostile learning environment" for the Israeli students, leading to a settlement where Harvard agreed to adopt the International Historical Remembrance Association's definition of antisemitism.
Brandeis Center Founder Ken Marcus lauded the settlement as a significant victory with potential impact beyond Harvard. Fox News Digital's attempts to contact Harvard and Professor Ganz for comment were unsuccessful.
