Walter Johnson Resigns as Harvard Faculty Adviser Following Backlash over Antisemitic Image

Walter Johnson, a renowned professor of History and of African and African American Studies, has resigned from his positions as a faculty adviser to the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee and Harvard Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine. This decision follows a wave of backlash faced by the two groups after a post containing an antisemitic image was shared.

The resignation of Professor Johnson from the aforementioned groups was confirmed by his wife, Alison Frank Johnson. Professor Frank Johnson, who is also a History professor, acknowledged his decision to step down.

The Palestine Solidarity Committee issued a statement acknowledging the ongoing conversations regarding Professor Johnson’s resignation. In their statement, they emphasized that Professor Johnson’s decision was a personal one and that he continues to support the goals of the organization. The committee expressed gratitude for his past contributions and wished him the best.

Following the initial backlash, the Palestine Solidarity Committee uploaded a revised version of the post, acknowledging that the original shared image did not correspond to their organizational values. In a caption accompanying the new post, they expressed regret for inadvertently including an image that perpetuated antisemitic tropes. They also stressed that their commitment to liberation includes the Jewish community.

Interim President of Harvard University, Alan M. Garber ’76, forcefully condemned the antisemitic image in an email sent to the entire University community. President Garber underscored the need to avoid perpetuating hateful antisemitic tropes, inflammatory rhetoric, or sharing demeaning images based on an individual’s identity. He emphasized that such actions are contrary to the principles the university upholds.

Professor Johnson was initially listed as the first signatory in the founding statement of the Harvard Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine. However, the list of FSJP members disappeared from the website due to the controversy surrounding the antisemitic image.

The Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, along with the Palestine Solidarity Committee and the African and African American Resistance Organization, jointly issued a statement apologizing for the immense harm caused by the post. They made it clear that the inclusion of the offensive caricature was a regrettable and unprompted error, resulting from a combination of ignorance and insufficient oversight. They expressed their apologies and reaffirmed their commitment to opposing hate and bigotry, including antisemitism.