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A US university president has resigned after being strongly criticised over her comments about antisemitism on campus during a Congressional hearing.
Elizabeth Magill, President of the University of Pennsylvania, refused to say whether students who called for the genocide of Jews would be punished.
The university said she “voluntarily tendered her resignation” after days of calls for her to step down.
Ms Magill will remain in post until a replacement is appointed.
She made the controversial comments while appearing in front of a House of Representatives committee on 5 December alongside the presidents of Harvard and MIT, Claudine Gay and Sally Kornbluth.
They were asked by Republican New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik: “Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate [your university’s] code of conduct or rules regarding bullying and harassment? Yes or no?”
Watch: Moment top US university heads evade question on genocide
Ms Magill and her MIT and Harvard counterparts said repeatedly it would depend on the “context” and have been criticised for not flatly condemning calls for the genocide of Jews.
In a video statement released after the hearing, Ms Magill apologised for her testimony.
The Congressional hearing was held amid widespread campus protests sparked by the Israel-Gaza conflict and a rising number of antisemitism incidents.
Ms Magill’s remarks were criticised widely, including by the White House, and the backlash saw the university lose a $100m (£79.3m) donation.
In a statement released via the university after her resignation was confirmed, Ms Magill said: “It has been my privilege to serve as President of this remarkable institution.
“It has been an honor to work with our faculty, students, staff, alumni, and community members to advance Penn’s vital missions.”
The University of Pennsylvania – commonly known as UPenn – is among the oldest and most prestigious universities in the US, and is part of the elite Ivy League group alongside institutions such as Harvard and Yale.
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