Trump vs Harvard

In 2004, I had the privilege of receiving my master’s in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The dean of the school who awarded me the diploma was one of the greatest scholars of international relations of our times, Professor Joseph Nye. Professor Nye, who passed away in early May, coined the term “Soft Power” to describe a country’s ability to achieve its goals not only through military force but also through diplomacy, cultural and value-based influence, and by setting an attractive example.

During my studies, Professor Nye and others taught me an important lesson about the power of diplomacy and the close connection between foreign policy and national security.

For years, the United States has been the global leader in the use of soft power by utilizing its position as the leader of the free world.  It has made a monumental contribution to the development of other countries via the USAID agency, and its outstanding academic institutions have served as a magnet for students from all over the world, who absorb not only knowledge but also democratic values.

However, the reality is changing, as the Trump Administration is now challenging this approach, both externally and internally, by abandoning its desire to influence through the use of inducements and shifting to an almost exclusive use of punishment and threat.

Harvard University, long considered the leading university in the world, has recently found itself at the center of a fierce ideological struggle with the Trump Administration. It is conducting a battle against the threat to undermine the principles of freedom of expression, diversity, and inclusion in American academia. The institution, which has etched the word “Truth” (Veritas) indelibly on its emblem, is now vigilantly defending its ethical and academic integrity, refusing to succumb to political pressures, even if it means incurring economic sanctions worth approximately $3 billion. The institution is facing attempts to prevent it from remaining the academic home for thousands of foreign students, who make up about a quarter of the total student body, including many Israelis.

Unlike other institutions that chose to lower their profile or even bow to political demands, Harvard University, led by its president, Prof. Alan M. Garber, has refused to cancel programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion and has rejected government oversight of faculty hiring, the punishment of students for exercising their constitutional right to free speech, and other demands that would compromise the university’s academic and ethical integrity.

I am not without criticism of the university’s conduct following the October 7 massacre. At the time, Professor Claudine Gay, the university president, and her counterparts at other leading universities found themselves unprepared for the situation. In the name of the “sanctity” of free speech, various academic institutions refrained from acting against or even condemning anti-Semitic and racist statements, alongside calls for violence. However, Harvard learned its lesson when the new leadership, under Professor Garber, adopted a policy that distinguishes between legitimate criticism and incitement while steadfastly maintaining free speech as a value protected by the First Amendment to the American Constitution.

Unfortunately, the Israeli public is not always aware of the depth of the danger posed by the Trump Administration’s struggle against universities in general and Harvard in particular. The Trump Administration is trampling upon fundamental rights, revoking visas, and arresting and deporting foreign students, all under the guise of an alleged fight against anti-Semitism and the protection of Jewish students.

The result is an undermining of the liberal values on which American democracy is based and an increasing antagonism towards Israel and even towards Jews, who are portrayed as the reason for the administration’s anti-academic policies and silencing.

Harvard was a great experience for me, not just for the content but also for the international spirit, freedom of thought, and pluralism on campus. These values are currently under a coordinated attack by a government seeking to uproot what it perceives as a liberal elitist threat, a phenomenon not much different from the Israeli government’s attitude towards our academia.

Especially at this time, I feel more honored than ever to belong to the Harvard alumni community—not only because it is a wonderful university, but also because it is an institution of values that imparts knowledge to its students and continues to set a crucial example of democracy, freedom of expression, and protection of human rights.

While the Trump Administration has abandoned any semblance of soft power, the steadfast stance of Harvard University stresses that such power, based on liberal values, can lead to change.

Professor Joseph Nye would be proud of his university today.