New York (CNN) 鈥� Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer and his wife Batia are quitting a Harvard executive board in protest of how university leaders have responded to Hamas鈥� terror attacks on Israel.
鈥淯nfortunately, our faith in the University鈥檚 leadership has been broken and we cannot in good faith continue to support Harvard and its committees,鈥� the couple said in a statement to CNN.
Idan Ofer has amassed a , according to , where the Israeli ranks No. 80.
The decision by the Ofers to step down from the of Harvard鈥檚 Kennedy School of Government adds to the at the university following the release of an anti-Israel statement by a coalition of student groups.
That letter solely blamed Israel for the deadly attacks by Hamas, and prompting some students to distance themselves from it.
The anti-Israel letter was not the main reason the Ofers decided to resign and criticize Harvard leadership, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday. Instead, the resignation was driven by how Harvard leaders responded to the attacks on Israel, the source said.
鈥淲e denounce those who seek to place blame on the people of Israel for the atrocities committed by the terrorist organisation, Hamas,鈥� the Ofers said.
鈥淥ur decision鈥� to resign from the board 鈥渉as been precipitated by the lack of clear evidence of support from the University鈥檚 leadership for the people of Israel following the tragic events of the past week, coupled with their apparent unwillingness to recognize Hamas for what it is, a terrorist organization,鈥� the Ofers said.
The Kennedy School board is chaired by billionaire David Rubenstein and includes business and philanthropic leaders who advise the dean and are 鈥渁mong the most committed financial supporters鈥� of the school, according to its website.
Idan Ofer is a son of shipping billionaire Sammy Ofer, who was once Israel鈥檚 richest man and died in 2011, . He owns a majority stake in Israel Corp., an energy, shipping and chemicals conglomerate. He is also a controller shareholder in Kenon Holdings, a New York-listed holding company.
With so much disinformation being spread by social media it is essential that the world鈥檚 great institutions speak with a clear and unequivocal voice at this critical time.
Harvard did not comment on the resignation and criticism from the Ofers. The university instead pointed to a released Thursday night by Harvard President Claudine Gay.
鈥淧eople have asked me where we stand. So, let me be clear. Our University rejects terrorism 鈥� that includes the barbaric atrocities perpetrated by Hamas,鈥� Gay said. 鈥淥ur University rejects hate 鈥� hate of Jews, hate of Muslims, hate of any group of people based on their faith, their national origin, or any aspect of their identify.鈥�
Gay added that Harvard 鈥渞ejects the harassment or intimidation of individuals based on their beliefs鈥� and 鈥渆mbraces a commitment to free expression.鈥�
鈥淭hat commitment extends even to views that many of us find objectionable, even outrageous. We do not punish or sanction people for expressing such views,鈥� Gay said. 鈥淏ut that is a far cry from endorsing them.鈥�
After the anti-Israel statement was released, CEOs and business leaders including hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman called for the public release of the names of students linked to the organizations that backed the statement. That鈥檚 despite the fact that some student distances themselves from the letter or said they hadn鈥檛 seen it.
A near Harvard鈥檚 campus on Wednesday displaying the names and faces of students that apparently were linked to the statement.
The-CNN-Wire
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