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Edited by: TJVNews.com

Bill Ackman, the billionaire hedge fund manager and founder of Pershing Square Capital Management, has intensified his efforts to hold Harvard students accountable for a controversial letter that attributed blame to Israel for a recent violent attack by Hamas, resulting in over 1,200 casualties, as was reported by the New York Post on Thursday.  Ackman’s call for companies to refuse employment opportunities to students who signed the letter has triggered a fierce debate, drawing mixed responses from various quarters, the report added.

Billionaire Bill Ackman Doubles Down on Job Denial for Harvard Students Advocating for Hamas – https://t.co/CKlDDQiD89 @BillAckman #hedgefund @PershingSquare @Harvard #terrorism #Israel_under_attack #Hamas_is_ISIS @LarrySummers

— The Jewish Voice (@JewishVoice) October 13, 2023

In a series of social media posts, Ackman questioned the character and judgment of the students who endorsed the controversial letter. He compared the situation to hiring someone who blamed the victims of a terrorist group for its despicable acts, according to the Post report. Ackman also drew parallels to individuals who would blame victims of KKK lynchings for the violence perpetrated against them.

“If you were managing a business, would you hire someone who blamed the despicable violent acts of a terrorist group on the victims?” Ackman wrote on X early Thursday, as was indicated in the Post report. “I don’t think so.”

“Would you hire someone who was a member of a school club who issued a statement blaming lynchings by the KKK on their victims?” Ackman wrote, as was reported by the Post.  “I don’t think so.”

“It is not harassment to seek to understand the character of the candidates that you are considering for employment,” Ackman added.

He defended his stance, stating that seeking to understand the character of potential job candidates is not harassment. Ackman’s call for transparency led to at least a dozen business executives endorsing his request for Harvard to publish lists containing the names of the student group members who initially attached their names to the letter, the Post reported.

However, not everyone shares Ackman’s viewpoint. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, a Harvard alumnus, expressed his reservations about the aggressive approach, stating that Ackman was “getting a bit carried away.”The Post report said that Summers pointed out that the letter was issued shortly after the attacks, and some students may not have been aware of its contents. He emphasized that some students may have acted out of naivety or without a full understanding of the situation.

“This letter was issued six hours after the attacks,” Summers told Bloomberg News. “Many in the groups had no idea that there was going to be a letter … Some I’m sure were naive and stupid.”

Jason Furman, an economist and former Obama administration official who is also a professor at Harvard, seconded Summers’ perspective. As was reported by the Post, Furman emphasized that publishing lists of students and their personal information under headings like ‘terrorist,’ ‘genocidal murderer,’ and ‘anti-Semite’ is unjust, especially when some individuals named have no direct connection to the letter. The report added that Furman’s stance is in line with the principle that “two wrongs do not make a right.”

“Publishing lists of students and personal information under the headings ‘terrorist,’ ‘genocidal murderer’ and ‘anti semite’ is just wrong in any circumstance, and especially when many of the people named have nothing to do with the statement,” Furman wrote in a post on his X account, according to the Post report.

The controversy prompted four of the student groups to disassociate themselves from the letter and remove their names, signaling a reevaluation of their initial endorsement.

The student organizations claim that Israel, particularly its “apartheid regime,” bears full responsibility for the violence unfolding in the region.

The statement accuses Israel of structuring “every aspect of Palestinian existence for 75 years.”

Townhall.com reported that the signatories expressed their solidarity with Palestine and Hamas, despite reports of brutality by the latter, including the rape of Israeli women and the circulation of disturbing videos on social media.

Key Figures in the Controversy:

Hussain Awan ’25 and Reema Doleh ’25 serve as co-presidents of the Harvard Muslim Law School Association. Awan worked as a law clerk at the Supreme Court of Pakistan, while Doleh interned with Legal Services NYC, as was indicated in the Townhall.com report.

Ariq Hatibie ’24 is an executive board member of the association and is currently the Editor in Chief of the Harvard Human Rights Journal. Townhall.com reported that he worked as a summer associate at White & Case LLP and as a legal intern for TRIAL International, a legal group that fights against international crimes and supports victims in their quest for justice.

Additionally, Hatibie works as a research assistant for Harvard Law Professor Salma Waheedi. Townhall.com reported that in 2022, Waheedi signed a letter with Harvard faculty expressing “solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom and self-determination.”

In the letter, Waheedi and her colleagues claim “Unwavering US financial, military, and political support has fueled an apartheid system that institutionalizes the domination and repression of Palestinians,” as was noted in the Townhall.com report.

Waheedi currently teaches a course on “Law, Human Rights, and Social Justice in Israel-Palestine.”

Saeed Ahmad ’24, an executive board member, worked as a Research Assistant to Professor Intisar Rabb, in Harvard’s Program in Islamic Law, and as a Summer Law Clerk at the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Hejir Rashidzadeh ’25, another executive board member, worked as an associate at Alston & Bird, known for its intellectual property work. An editor’s note, however that was posted on the Townhall.com web site said that Hejir Rashidzadeh had tendered his resignation to the group earlier on Tuesday.

Hurya Ahmed ’25, Vice President of Communications, interned with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Undergraduate Student Leaders:

The African American Resistance Organization, founded by Kojo Acheampong ’26, Kiersten B. Hash ’25, Amari M. Butler ’25, Clyve Lawrence ’25, and Prince A. Williams ’25.

The Harvard Islamic Society, led by Maryam Tourk ’25 as Co-President.

The Harvard Undergraduate Ghungroo, directed by Hana Rehman ’25, Jasleen Kaur ’25, and Karina Mahida ’25.

The Harvard Undergraduate Nepali Students Association, with Anusha Adhikari ’26 and Ishan Tiwari ’25 serving as Co-Presidents.

In response to critics, Ackman reiterated his argument and provided advice for students who find themselves in a similar situation. The Post reported that he maintained that remaining a member of an organization that issues a public statement one disagrees with without taking action to rectify the situation can have a negative impact on one’s reputation. Ackman encouraged students to either persuade their organization to amend the statement or resign in protest if they vehemently disagree with it.

“If an organization of which you are a member puts out a public statement you disagree with, you have a few choices,” Ackman wrote on his X account.

“You can … stay silent and have the entire world conclude that you stand by the statement,” Ackman wrote.

As was indicated in the Post report, the hedge fund mogul wrote that students can “convince the other members of the group to withdraw or otherwise modify the statement so that it can reflect the views of all members.”

“Or you can resign in protest,” Ackman wrote.

The ongoing debate underscores the complex intersection of free speech, accountability, and individual actions within organizations and academic institutions. The ripple effects of this controversy will likely continue to be a topic of discussion and scrutiny in the coming days.