Harvard adopts strict definition of anti-Semitism for disciplinary cases

Harvard University will adopt a definition of anti-Semitism when investigating disciplinary cases, as part of several measures to protect Jewish students after protests against the Gaza war, the university said in an agreement Tuesday.

The definition includes some criticism of Israel as examples of anti-Semitism, including calling Israel’s existence a “racist enterprise.”

It was part of a settlement in two lawsuits filed by Jewish groups accusing the school of not doing enough to prevent and punish anti-Semitism on campus. Last year, a federal judge in Boston allowed the lawsuit to continue.

Harvard’s decision was unusual. Many universities have been reluctant to adopt any definition of anti-Semitism, although pressure on them to do so has increased in response to campus conflicts linked to the war in Gaza.

The definition used by Harvard has been criticized because it blurs the line between anti-Semitism and arguments against Israel and Zionism.

Kenneth Marcus, President of the Louis D. Brandeis The Center for Human Rights Under Law, a Jewish civil rights group, said it hoped other universities would adopt the definition.