Trump Wants Funding Stopped, Visas Revoked for Antisemitic Acts at Colleges

The Anti-Defamation League reports more than 10,000 antisemitic incidents have been recorded in America since the terrorist group Hamas executed a murderous rampage in Israel on October 7, 2023.  

In an effort to reduce that number, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Wednesday called "Never To Be Silent: Stemming the Tide of Antisemitism in America."  

While citing antisemitic acts that have occurred at synagogues, community centers, and public places, the hearing focused on how especially bad it is on college campuses.  While pointing to an image from a CBN News report, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) described the problem.

"Here is a picture taken on the campus of Columbia," he said. "In the back are Jewish students waving American flags and Israeli flags. In the front is a Columbia student wearing a mask, because these cowards are oh so brave they cover their faces, holding a hand-written sign saying 'AL QASSAM'S NEXT TARGETS' – Al Qassam is the military branch of Hamas. Understand what this student is saying. She is calling for the murder of her Jewish classmates."

Photo posted to X by Alan Malki, M.D.

Anti-Israel protests continue, like the ones that have been held for more than a week at New York's Barnard College.  Elisha Baker, a Barnard College student and witness, told CBN News, "It's not only anti-Israel, but it's anti-American, and it goes against everything that a university should be tolerating."

President Trump posted a message on Truth Social placing college campuses on high alert. "All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests," he wrote.  

Republicans at the hearing agreed with the idea of revoking federal funding to schools that tolerate antisemitism. They further suggested the State Department should deport foreign nationals who are in the U.S. on student visas and are caught harming Jews.

"Why don't we write into the process, a condition of the visa that is, (if) you assault a Jewish student on campus, you're out of here! You're gone!" said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) which was followed by applause.

One witness, Adela Cojab, Legal Fellow with the National Jewish Advocacy Center, testified that President Trump is the "greatest ally Israel has had in the White House."

However, another witness, Tufts University student Meirav Solomo, said Trump "has highlighted and platformed Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists" which she said contributed to the rise of antisemitism. 

Alyza Lewin, president of The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, called on Congress to take action.

"The law is a powerful motivating tool and we need to be using it to give administrators the backbone to hold accountable those who are engaging in this Jew hatred," she said. 

A recent poll conducted by the Israel on Campus Coalition shows as many as 74% of Jewish college students believe that antisemitism is a serious problem on campus.  A total of 30% reported experiencing it, 29% reported witnessing antisemitism, and 22% reported hearing about it.  Furthermore, the study revealed 87% of Jewish college students are concerned that anti-Israel protests and petitions to boycott the State of Israel lead to hate crimes and violence against Jewish students. 

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