Temple U must take a stand against anti-Semitism now and fire Marc Lamont Hill.
Marc Lamont Hill addressed the United Nations during the annual International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on November 29, and called for a “free Palestine from the River to the Sea,” to a chorus of applause.
His statement carried the same meaning as the Palestinian Hamas terror organization’s goal to eradicate the Jewish state.
While his hate speech was applauded at the UN, the next day he was fired from his position as a CNN commentator.
However, Hill, who is no stranger to anti-Israel vitriol with his embrace of the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, is also a tenured professor at Temple University and has yet to be removed from his position, despite the blatant and violent anti-Semitism he has supported.
“The virulent anti-Semitism spewed by Marc Lamont Hill is abhorrent, and his senseless promotion of violence against Israel is repugnant,” said the National Council of Young Israel (NCYI). “With his racist views and unabashed denigration of Israel, Dr. Hill does not deserve to be given any sort of platform that facilitates the dissemination of his bigotry, whether it be on Cable TV or in a classroom.”
In light of Hill’s “malevolent anti-Semitic” remarks, NCYI called for his dismissal. Temple should not “countenance anti-Semitism, and their failure to take swift action and terminate Dr. Hill would make them complicit in sanctioning bigotry and anti-Semitism.”
“With such hate-filled views that are antithetical to basic human decency, Marc Lamont Hill should not be rewarded by serving as a pundit or a professor… Temple has a duty to dismiss Dr. Hill and renounce his anti-Semitic beliefs,” added NCYI.
Temple University suggested that Hill will not be terminated.
“Marc Lamont Hill does not represent Temple University, and his views are his own,” spokesperson Brandon Lausch told JNS. “However, we acknowledge that he has a constitutionally protected right to express his opinion as a private citizen.”
However, Temple University has launched a process to determine whether it can reprimand Hill.
Temple University President Richard Englert weighed in on the controversy saying in a statement that Hill’s “views are his own” and did not represent his school, though they were constitutionally protected.
The chairman of Temple University’s Board of Trustees, Patrick O’Connor, was more forceful in his reaction, telling The Philadelphia Inquirer that Hill’s remarks were “lamentable” and “disgusting.”
“It should be made clear that no one at Temple is happy with his comments,” O’Connor said. “Free speech is one thing. Hate speech is entirely different.”
“I’m not happy. The board’s not happy. The administration’s not happy. People wanted to fire him right away,” O’Connor continued. “We’re going to look at what remedies we have.”
O’Connor said that he asked the university’s legal department to review whether any action can be taken in response to Hill’s remarks.
Another Temple trustee and major donor, Leonard Barrack, also expressed his disapproval, saying Hill called “called for the destruction of the State of Israel in code words. I am very upset about it. I think it was anti-Semitic.”
While we welcome and respect free-speech, anti-Semitism and a call for Israel’s destruction are not acceptable in any way and should not be countenanced.
In the name of basic decency, Temple U must show Hill the door as soon as possible.
Speak Out Against Anti-Israel Hate!
1.Email Temple University’s President Richard Englert: [email protected]
2. Click Here to send Tempe U a message on Facebook.
3. Click Here to send Tempe U a message on Twitter.
4. Email Temple University’s Board of Trustees:
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
