Harvard Names Wife of Times Columnist Kristof, Whom Israel Accused of ‘Blood Libel,’ To Lead Its Board

Harvard University is facing opprobrium once again for turning its head to antisemitism, this time over the school’s decision to hire for a top leadership position a journalist whose husband recently wrote a widely denounced New York Times article alleging sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners by Israel security forces. A former Times correspondent and business executive, Sheryl WuDunn, was named vice chairwoman of Harvard’s Board of Overseers last week. Ms. WuDunn is married to Nick Kristof, whose May article was described by the Israeli government as a “blood libel.” She will lead the board for the 2026-2027 academic year alongside federal judge, Raymond J. Lohier Jr., who was appointed president of the board. The Board of Overseers, which consists of 30 alumni who advise the university’s administration, is Harvard’s second-highest governing body. Members “play an integral role in the governance of the University” and “examine the quality of Harvard’s programs,” according to the Harvard Gazette.Harvard’s president, Alan Garber, praised the duo as “distinguished alumni whose devotion to the University shines through their service” and said he was “eager to see the ways in which their leadership will advance the efforts of the board.” The appointment of Ms. WuDunn, a Harvard Business School alumna who has remained active in campus and alumni life, drew immediate backlash from critics who accused Harvard of elevating anti-Israel voices despite its public pledges to balance viewpoints and combat antisemitism. Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Sun.“Harvard’s antisemitism problem isn’t getting better. It’s getting promoted into leadership,” said author and pro-Israel advocate Samantha Ettus, herself a Harvard Business School alumna. “Harvard knew. Harvard chose her anyway.”British author and founder of Antisemitism Watch, Patricia Posner, claimed the appointment was evidence of Mr. Garber’s failure “to tackle the school’s antisemitism problem.” Ms. WuDunn frequently collaborates with her husband, Mr. Kristof, and the two shared a Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for their coverage of the Tiananmen Square protests. She has stood by him amid the controversy over his May op-ed alleging widespread sexual abuse of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, including training of security dogs to rape prisoners.The article’s credibility came under immediate challenge as media watchdog groups and commentators said that the piece relied on sources with documented histories of glorifying terrorists or records of extreme anti-Israel bias. The piece also quoted a former Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, in apparent validation of the claims — a characterization Mr. Olmert later disputed, saying his words had been taken out of context and misrepresented.Israel’s foreign ministry further alleged that the Times ran Mr. Kristof’s column with knowledge that a separate report on Hamas’s systemic sexual violence during and after the October 7, 2023, attack was set for imminent release by CNN and other outlets. The ministry said the independent Civil Commission that produced the report approached the Times with its findings “months ago” but was turned down. Prime Minister Netanyahu said he had directed the government to pursue a defamation lawsuit against the Times, condemning the paper for having “defamed the soldiers of Israel and perpetuated a blood libel about rape, trying to create a false symmetry between the genocidal terrorists of Hamas and Israel’s valiant soldiers.”The Times defended the story as “extensively fact-checked” and dismissed the potential suit as “part of a well-worn political playbook that aims to undermine independent reporting.” Ms. WuDunn reposted the paper’s statement supporting her husband’s reporting.

Harvard Names Wife of Times Columnist Kristof, Whom Israel Accused of ‘Blood Libel,’ To Lead Its Board

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