In the wake of opposition by some Jewish leaders to Professor Derek J. Penslar’s appointment as co-chair of Harvard University’s new Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism, NIF CEO Daniel Sokatch released the following statement:

I have never been prouder to call Professor Derek J. Penslar—a member of the advisory council for NIF-Canada—a friend and colleague. The unwarranted and frankly outrageous attacks on his character, his politics, and his academic integrity are infuriating and absolutely baseless. Professor Penslar is an outstanding scholar—a widely recognized leader in the field of Jewish and Israeli history. Indeed, a list of hundreds of academics recently wrote a letter in support of Professor Penslar’s appointment that included the line “It is hard to think of many North American academics who have contributed more to the development of the study of Jewish history and of Israeli society over the past few decades than Derek Penslar.”

The fact that Professor Penslar will bring all of his knowledge and scholarship to bear as co-chair of Harvard’s Task Force on Combating Antisemitism should be a cause for celebration in the American Jewish community, which is facing profound challenges in the American academy in the wake of Hamas’s October 7 attacks and the war that came in its wake. We at NIF proudly stand in support of his appointment. He is just the kind of thoughtful expert and compassionate leader we need in the fight against antisemitism on campus and throughout our country.

Universities are meant to be places for dialogue and debate. They are meant to be places where difficult conversations can occur, people can disagree, and not police (let alone mischaracterize) political views. Those who oppose Derek’s appointment are pushing Harvard in the opposite direction, undermining academic freedom by chilling speech. Ultimately, this will only serve to undermine critical efforts to effectively confront rising antisemitism in America.