The violence against Israel perpetrated by Hamas, an internationally-recognized terrorist organization, represents a grave threat to the lives and well-being of the innocent Israeli people. In light of this unprovoked attack, the rise of anti-Israel protests and outright antisemitism from students and professors on college campuses across the country is deeply concerning and simply unacceptable.
Here are a few examples:
- At Columbia University, a tenured professor called the Hamas attack an "awesome stunning victory".
- At Cornell University, a professor described Hamas's attack as "exhilarating".
- At Harvard University, student groups claimed Israel is "entirely responsible" for the Hamas attack.
- The University of Pennsylvania invited anti-semitic speakers to campus.
- At Yale University, a professor called Israel a “murderous, genocidal settler state".
The amount of young Americans engaging in anti-Israel marches and other demonstrations is particularly disturbing. Whether it be offensive information put out through the education establishment or bias in left-wing media circles, the threat of antisemitism must be confronted.
This week, I joined my colleague Congressman Ralph Norman (R-SC) by signing onto letters to each of the universities listed above urging serious action against the threats and hatred toward the Jewish community. In these letters, we called for the administrations of these universities to put an end to anti-Israel protests and condemn antisemitism on their campuses. Our institutions of higher learning should be spaces for open dialogue, understanding, and debate, not places to sympathize with terrorists.
