Petition for the Resignation of MIT President Sally Kornbluth

To the MIT Corporation, a board of trustees that serves as the governing body of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology:

We, the undersigned members of the MIT community and beyond, petition for the immediate firing or resignation of President Sally Kornbluth due to her demonstrably failed leadership on the issue of antisemitism on MIT's campus. Under President Kornbluth's leadership, MIT has neglected to protect its Jewish students, has not fostered a safe & inclusive campus environment and has embarrassed the Institute in the eyes of the world.

On October 7th, Hamas terrorists slaughtered over 1,200 people in Israel – Jews, Muslims, Arabs, and others alike. Hamas raped teenagers, burned babies, and took more than 240 people hostage. Some of the victims of the October 7th attack are directly related to members of our community here at MIT.

In the wake of the largest killing of Jews since the Holocaust and one of the worst terrorist attacks in modern history, Jews and Israelis on campus desperately needed time and space to mourn. Instead, they were met immediately with victim blaming and callous epithets. On October 8th, every undergraduate student at MIT received an email claiming the "Israeli regime" was "responsible for all unfolding violence." One student group helped organize a "Victory is Ours" rally, where protesters from around Cambridge and Boston celebrated the murder and terror carried out in Israel.

This celebration of Hamas, a US government-designated terror organization sworn to eradicating the state of Israel, marked the establishment of a narrative characterizing Israelis and Jews as scapegoats, and paved the way for an increasingly antisemitic dynamic on MIT's campus. When Hamas declared a "Global Day of Jihad", Israelis and Jews were scared to come to campus. They were scared to wear their Star of David necklaces and their kippahs. They were scared to tell people that they were going to Shabbat dinners. They felt it was unsafe to be publicly Jewish and to speak freely about their support for the continued existence and safety of the State of Israel. As Jewish students were kicked out of study groups, called "Nazis" for supporting Israel, and bombarded with hateful dormspam, MIT faculty and IDHR and DEI Officers dismissed Jewish students' fears and even told some Israeli students to go back to Israel. The MIT administration repeatedly allowed anti-Israel hate groups on campus in violation of MIT policies, who invited outside protesters to espouse violent rhetoric on campus.

On November 9, 2023, on the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, which marked the beginning of the Holocaust, Jews at MIT were told to enter campus from back entrances and not to stay in Hillel for fear of their physical safety. On this day, Jewish and Israeli MIT students were physically prevented from attending class by a hostile group of pro-Hamas and anti-Israel MIT students that call themselves the CAA.

This is after students from the CAA harassed MIT staff members in their offices for being Jewish and interrupted classes in the prior weeks. All of this has occurred with no clear response from President Kornbluth or her administration. With each passing day, MIT admin's silence makes Jewish and Israeli students feel unsafe at MIT.

Many Jewish students fear leaving their dorm rooms and have stated that they feel MIT is not safe for Jews. This message is compounded by the public and private warnings of Hillel and many faculty that Jewish students should not enter MIT's main lobby.

Instead of dispersing the mob or de-escalating the situation by rerouting all students from Lobby 7, Jewish students specifically were warned not to enter MIT's front entrance due to a risk to their physical safety. The onus to protect Jewish students should not be on the students themselves.

The MIT administration recently announced guidelines to avoid illegal and unsafe protests on campus. The CAA, which planned the Kristallnacht protest, knowingly and proudly violated these requirements, and even invited people from outside of MIT to join them. Their actions inhibit the possibility of safe and peaceful dialogue and endanger Jewish students on campus. 

The CAA hosted a blockade that not only disregarded MIT guidelines, but also obstructed Jewish students from attending classes. Indeed, the CAA proceeded to invite more students and non-MIT protesters to join them in calling for a violent uprising ("Intifada") and justifying the terror attacks of Hamas on Israeli civilians.

All students on campus were warned through MIT's emergency notification system to "avoid Lobby 7" (one of the largest and most symbolic common spaces at MIT) –– officially recognizing the danger present to students as a result of this violent protest. No Jewish or Israeli students were present at this point.

The MIT administration has decided not to academically suspend CAA students who repeatedly violated the administration's guidelines and threats. They have shown that actions against Jews at MIT do not have consequences. Additionally, in an email to Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) students, the Department Head indicated that he would protect any DUSP students involved in violating MIT's rules today by protesting with the CAA. Not only do Jewish students feel unsafe on campus, but now they also feel excluded from and unsafe in DUSP. 

With this context, it is easy to understand why many Jewish and Israeli students do not feel safe on campus. We express our fears to those who are tasked with keeping us safe and providing us with a healthy learning environment, and are met with gaslighting and lip service. As shown by their actions and words (such as violent calls to "raise up your two fists and sacrifice everything for Palestine" on the steps of Lobby 7), radicalized student groups and the outsiders they invite to campus pose a real threat to all students' safety, especially Jews and Israelis. Jews and Israelis on campus don't just 'feel' unsafe, they are unsafe.

Specifically, we cite President Sally Kornbluth's:

1. Inability to unequivocally condemn calls for the genocide of Jewish students and inability to identify these as harassment in her testimony before Congress. When confronted with a public instance of verbal harassment targeting Jewish students, President Kornbluth failed to explicitly denounce the act as hate speech and a form of harassment. This equivocation sent a chilling message to Jewish students, emboldening perpetrators and undermining their sense of security.
   
   
2. Pattern of inaction in addressing antisemitism. This recent incident is not an isolated event. President Kornbluth's administration has repeatedly faced criticism for its inadequate response to antisemitic incidents on campus, fostering a climate of fear and marginalization for Jewish students.
   
   
3. Amplification of antisemitism through silence. By failing to forcefully condemn antisemitic acts, President Kornbluth has effectively amplified their message, creating an environment where such bigotry feels tolerated, if not endorsed, by the university leadership.

President Kornbluth's continued presence in office sends a dangerous message: that the safety and well-being of Jewish students are not priorities at MIT. This is unacceptable. A university that claims to uphold values of equality and justice cannot stand idly by while its own students are targeted with hate speech and violence.

We demand decisive action. We demand a leader who will not only condemn antisemitism in word but actively combat it in deed. We demand a leader who will create a haven for all students, regardless of their background, where they can feel safe, supported, and valued.

Therefore, we call upon the MIT Corporation to act swiftly and decisively. We urge you to demand President Kornbluth's resignation or to fire her immediately and to initiate a transparent search for a new leader who will prioritize the safety and inclusion of all students, especially those targeted by hate and discrimination.

The future of MIT depends on your commitment to fostering a truly equitable and just learning environment. We implore you to stand with your Jewish students and send a clear message: antisemitism will not be tolerated at MIT.

Signed,