A number of advocacy teams and non-profits are calling for brand spanking new Senate hearings to crack down on anti-Israel protests and incidents on school campuses that threaten the protection of Jewish college students.
In a joint letter to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders – chairman of the Senate Well being, Schooling, Labor, and Pensions Committee – the teams mentioned it was crucial for the federal government to chop funds from organizations resembling College students for Justice in Palestine over antisemitic incidents which have erupted at universities throughout the US prior to now yr.
The letter was spearheaded by the Basis for Protection of Democracies Motion, a Washington-based assume tank, and Institute for the Examine of World Antisemitism and Coverage, an American nonprofit group, with different teams signing alongside.
“Because the October 7 atrocities, Jewish college students, school, and employees have been beneath growing assault on campuses nationwide,” the teams wrote.” Many Jewish college students really feel unsafe expressing their identities on campus, and 7 in 10 Jewish college students reported experiencing or witnessing antisemitism final yr.”
The teams mentioned universities have the obligation to guard its Jewish college students, claiming teams just like the SJP function a direct menace that ought to not obtain any funding from the college.
If faculties proceed to fund such scholar teams or fail to take away them, the nonprofit teams mentioned the universities should be held accountable by the US authorities.
“The federal authorities has a accountability to implement present legal guidelines, resembling Title VI, to stop discrimination and intimidation,” Toby Dershowitz, managing Director of FDD Motion, instructed The Put up.
“Jewish college students are beneath siege, the continued targets of hate and vitriol merely for his or her religion,” she added. “It’s vital that Congress takes motion to guard Jewish college students and guarantee protected studying environments for all.”
Charles Small, the ISGAP’s govt editor,” echoed Dershowitz’s declare that the SJP’s actions have been breaching federal legislation.
“Instant steps should be taken: universities ought to ban full face coverings at protests to stop intimidation and guarantee accountability for felony habits, outlaw teams that brazenly help terrorist organizations like Hamas, and strictly implement Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to guard Jewish college students from discrimination,” Small mentioned.
“As recipients of taxpayer funds, universities should be held accountable, and Congress, particularly the HELP Committee, should act by holding hearings and guaranteeing that establishments which fail to guard their Jewish college students face critical penalties,” he added.
Sanders’ workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The letter from the group is the most recent despatched to Sanders, who was beforehand requested in January by a congressional bipartisan activity pressure to carry such hearings about antisemitism on school campuses.
Between Oct. 7, 2023, and Sept. 24, 2024, the Anti-Defamation League reported greater than 10,000 antisemitic assaults within the US, with a couple of tenth of them occurring on school campuses.