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Fragrance Mogul Jo Malone's Son Leads Harvard Campaign Vilifying

Perfume tycoon Jo Malone's son helped lead a pro-Palestinian Harvard group behind a letter that blamed Israel for Hamas' massacre of Jewish people, DailyMail.com can reveal. Josh Willcox, 22, is listed as one of three students who run the Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee, according to Harvard's directory of student groups along with Shradda Joshi and Sanaa Kahloon.

Jo, a British perfume giant founder who sold her eponymous company to Estee Lauder in 1999, refused to address her son.

Earlier this week, 31 Harvard student groups signed up to a letter saying: 'We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.'

The PSC group issued a further statement in which it said it was 'proud to stand steadfast against Israeli apartheid.'

In its latest comments the PSC bemoaned the lack of support they were getting from the university, saying the administration 'invests in Israeli apartheid'. The ongoing discourse centered on Harvard diverts focus from the relentless carnage in Gaza, a dire situation which our joint statement urgently warned about,' it said.

Willcox's fellow Palestine Solidarity Committee member Sanaa Kahloon subsequently spoke to the Harvard Crimson student newspaper confirming the group had no regrets over the controversial letter - while even doubling down on it. Kahloon said the organization 'rejects the accusation' its initial statement was 'supportive of civilian deaths' Speaking for the group, Kahloon, said their mission should be 'obvious', adding the 'PSC staunchly opposes violence against civilians — Palestinian, Israeli, or other.'

'The statement aims to contextualize the apartheid and colonial system while explicitly lamenting "the devastating and rising civilian toll" in its caption,' she added in a separate Crimson story.

'It is unacceptable that Palestinians and groups supporting them are always expected to pre-empt their statements with condemnation of violence.'

Willcox studies Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations with history, with his mother telling media earlier this year he specializes in Arabic. He is the only son of the cologne and candle mogul and her husband Gary Willcox. Malone sold her eponymous company to Estee Lauder in 1999 for undisclosed millions and no longer has any ties to it.

Willcox has published at least three articles on Palestine for the Harvard Crimson, writing 'To the Editor: When Will You Stop Silencing Palestine?', in February along with a third leader of the organization, Shraddha Joshi.

The Harvard statement it has continued to support was widely-condemned after blaming Israel for attacks that have killed at least 1,200 Israelis, including 27 Americans.

It focused heavily on the then-anticipated Israeli military onslaught in Gaza, with critics branding the missive tasteless and inflammatory.

Willcox's fellow committee member Kahloon is a sophomore in Adams House and is a dual-major in Molecular and Cellular Biology with Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies.

Joshi, who penned several articles with Willcox, is an intern with Amnesty International and a social studies major. She spent time in Palestine in 2022, and in a blog post took aim at Harvard and the media for supporting Ukraine amid Russia's invasion but ignoring the ongoing situation in Gaza.