During the end of Claudine Gay’s congressional testimony, she made some remarks that sparked national controversy and also led some on the internet to believe she was anti-Semitic in her replies. It was insinuated that she didn’t protect Jewish students at the university and would later take to social media to clear the air saying it was not her intention to have these thoughts enter people’s heads but rather to say there is nothing in the rules that says anything specifically about the issue.

This sparked national controversy due to the war in Palestine that Israel which is a Jewish nation is participating in such war. When asked about the issue local Penns Valley resident, Trevor Bressler said: “I think this will create a lot of confusion for people over something that is not meant to be hurtful, just a misrepresentation of the University.” Even the New York Times wrote an article about her comments during this congressional hearing.

What we are seeing is that the President’s evasive responses to questions about Jewish people and their protection but also calling for the genocide of their people gave everyone in America the wrong idea and in saying this she was made out to be a villain in a tough time for Jewish people. Could she have answered more clearly what she meant? But does her response to a fair question call for this backlash? I don’t think. She was saying that there is freedom of speech at Harvard and nothing more. That people and students can say what they want due to their First Amendment rights and that Harvard does not violate those but they are not allowed to commit acts of hate against certain groups of people. That point is now clear and she very clearly regretted the way she had responded to those questions and meant only that students had their freedom.