Several advocacy groups and nonprofits are calling for new Senate hearings to crackdown on anti-Israel protests and events that threaten the safety of Jewish students on college campuses.
In a joint letter to Vermont senator bernie sanders – Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee – The groups said it was necessary for the government to cut funding from organizations Students for Justice in Palestine On anti-Semitic incidents that occurred at universities across America last year.
The letter was led by the Washington-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies Action and the US non-profit group Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, with other groups also signing on.
“Attacks on Jewish students, faculty and staff have been increasing on campuses across the country since the October 7 atrocities,” the groups wrote. Many Jewish students feel unsafe expressing their identity on campus, and seven in 10 Jewish students reported experiencing or witnessing anti-Semitism last year.
The groups said universities have a duty to protect their Jewish students, claiming that groups like SJP act as a direct threat that schools should not receive any funding.
If schools continue to fund such student groups or fail to remove them, the nonprofit groups said the colleges should be held accountable by the U.S. government.
“The federal government has a responsibility to enforce existing laws like Title VI to prevent discrimination and bullying,” Toby Dershowitz, managing director of FDD Action, told The Post.
“Jewish students are constant targets of hatred and bitterness because of their faith,” he said. “It is critical that Congress take action to protect Jewish students and ensure a safe learning environment for all.”
Charles Small, ISGAP’s executive editor, reiterated Dershowitz’s claim that SJP’s activities were in violation of federal law.
“Immediate steps must be taken: Universities must ban full face coverings at protests to prevent bullying and ensure accountability for criminal behavior, outlaw groups that openly support terrorist organizations like Hamas, and Jewish students.” Title VI of the Civil Rights Act must be strictly enforced for protection. Discrimination,” Smalls said.
He said, “As recipients of taxpayer money, universities must be held accountable, and Congress, particularly the AID Committee, must act by holding hearings and ensuring that institutions that fail to protect their Jewish students are held accountable.” If they continue, they will have to face serious consequences.”
Sanders’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The letter is the latest from the group to Sanders, who in January was asked by a congressional bipartisan task force about anti-Semitism on college campuses to hold such a hearing.
Between October 7, 2023, and September 24, 2024, the Anti-Defamation League reported more than 10,000 anti-Semitic attacks in the US, about one-tenth of which occurred on college campuses.
(TagstoTranslate)US News(T)Semitism(T)Colleges and Universities(T)Protests
