By Gloria Ogbonna

On Friday’s broadcast of NewsNation’s “Cuomo”, Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz delivered a scathing critique of elite academic institutions, holding them partially responsible for the recent killing of two Israeli Embassy staff members in Washington, D.C.

According to Dershowitz, universities like Harvard have not merely tolerated antisemitism but have actively fostered it through ideologically charged curricula and institutional practices.

“These two kids who were murdered in Washington, D.C.—Harvard and other universities have blood on their hands,” Dershowitz declared. “It’s not just that they turned a blind eye to the rise in antisemitism. They incubated it. They taught it. This wasn’t passive tolerance; it was active promotion.”

Dershowitz specifically pointed to frameworks like intersectionality and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, which he argued have become breeding grounds for antisemitic and anti-Zionist sentiments. “Intersectionality of race matters curriculum, DEI—these have become incubators for antisemitism, for anti-Zionism, and, ultimately, for the kind of violence we just saw in Washington.

When you teach young people that Jews are at the top of the oppression pyramid and that Zionism is colonialism, you’re laying the groundwork for radicalization,” he said.

The Harvard professor emeritus also invoked historical parallels, warning that what begins as protests can devolve into deadly violence. “We’ve seen this before,” Dershowitz said, recalling the Vietnam War era. “Peaceful protests on campuses spiraled into bombings and killings.

History warns us: when universities allow radical ideologies to fester unchecked, it can—and does—turn deadly.”

He singled out Harvard’s own Divinity School and School of Public Health, describing them as centers of “propagandistic” academic work. “Instead of promoting objective research and inquiry, these departments are increasingly producing ideologically slanted, politically driven narratives,” he argued, stating that they contribute to a broader culture of intolerance and indoctrination.

In addition to his criticism of universities, Dershowitz addressed recent moves by the Trump administration to penalize academic institutions like Harvard.

While he agreed with the administration’s broader goal of cracking down on threats posed by foreign students from adversarial nations, he urged a more precise approach. “We need to be smarter about how we respond,” he said. “Blanket bans on all foreign students are counterproductive.

They hurt Israeli, Canadian, and British students—people from allied nations. What we need is a focused approach that scrutinizes particular research projects and student affiliations rather than indiscriminately cutting off access.”

Dershowitz further emphasized that essential medical and scientific research must be protected. “Let’s be clear: We should not be reducing funding for research into Alzheimer’s, cancer, or other critical areas.

That’s not where the problem lies. The focus should be on weeding out ideological extremism, not undermining innovation.”

The broader implication of Dershowitz’s comments is a warning to American academia: by allowing—or even promoting—ideologies that vilify certain groups, universities risk contributing to real-world violence.

He urged institutions to take responsibility and reflect seriously on their role in shaping the perspectives and actions of their students.

As the nation reels from the D.C. killings and debates about antisemitism intensify on college campuses, Dershowitz’s remarks add fuel to a growing fire—one that challenges the very mission and direction of higher education in the United States.

Source Breitbart