Victories, Failures and Foreign Influence: Campuses Confront Hatred
BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES
Nearly half of universities across the U.S. have launched policy changes to address rampant displays of hatred toward Jews – antisemitism – but only eight received a top grade from the ADL in its recently released Campus Antisemitism Report Card for 135 schools. The report revealed a positive trend: 45% of universities implemented significant changes. Nearly all schools revised their campus demonstration policies. This shift reflects a growing recognition of the need to protect Jewish students on campus. The ADL’s campus climate study indicated that universities can effectively combat hatred of Jews by prioritizing clear reporting policies, swiftly condemning incidents, implementing accommodations for Jewish holidays and encouraging Jewish student life on campus. The educational landscape is hardly consistent – revealing both victories and failures – and foreign influence.
The Good: Signs of Improvement
- California: Santa Ana Unified School District settled a lawsuit after introducing ethnic studies courses containing false narratives about Israel and the Jewish people. District officials claimed that “Jews racialize as white,” to justify their lack of consideration, discussed using Jewish holidays to make it harder for Jews to attend and asked what to do with the “Jewish Question.” The settlement mandated redesigned courses with public input, recognition of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as controversial and adherence to impartiality standards. Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law: “Ethnic studies should never become a vehicle for sneaking dangerous, antisemitic materials into our schools.”
- Florida: A bipartisan group of Florida politicians are pushing for state funding to bolster security and cultural support for Jewish students at three universities. This initiative would enhance security, counter misinformation and strengthen community ties through campus Hillels. The program could serve as a model for Jewish student safety. Univ. of South Florida Hillel Exec. Dir. Sylvie Feinsmith: “Jewish students should feel safe and supported – both physically and culturally – on our campus and in our surrounding communities. This initiative allows us to not only enhance security, but also to invest in education and relationship-building.” Hillel directors Feinsmith, Brian Pelc at Florida St. Univ. and Rabbi Jonah Zinn at the Univ. of Florida are leading the charge.
The Bad: More Campus Investigations
- Nationally: The U.S. Dept. of Education’s Office of Civil Rights recently sent letters to 60 universities “warning them of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus, including uninterrupted access to campus facilities and educational opportunities.” Brandeis Center: “Multiple schools willfully ignored cases of severe and pervasive harassment and intimidation” of Jewish students – including physical assaults.”
- The OCR is moving with increased speed, force and effectiveness. However, there are deep concerns that if the Dept. of Education is shut down, as the administration has announced, it could imperil the civil rights cases. Brandeis Center founder Kenneth Marcus stated that he believes the OCR will be moved under the Dept. of Justice.
- New York: A week before the civil rights warning letters were sent, the federal government announced the immediate cancellation of $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia Univ. because of its inaction. The university agreed to limit masking and give up faculty control over it Mideast Studies Dept. However, these are only two of the nine requirements the government mandated. The university’s decisions were widely praised, but other groups stated that the leaders have not gone far enough. Unlike Harvard, Columbia did not adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism. Columbia’s president faced angry faculty in closed-door meetings while the univ. president warned of the “devastating” risk of funding cuts. Recently, an anti-Israel activist sent an email to Columbia’s law school calling for “death” to Judaism, Zionism and Israel.
- Indiana: Despite more positive media reports, many students continue to hide their Jewish identity. A recent incident proves students face consistent threats. Indiana Univ. placed mezuzahs on doorways in its student union to “show our support for the Jewish community against recent antisemitic acts.” Mezuzahs are small cases containing Hebrew scrolls that are traditionally placed in homes by the Jewish people around the world. A student government cabinet member responded by leading an initiative to either remove the mezuzahs or add an “equivalent poster for Palestinian students.”
The Ugly: Hamas and Qatari Funding, Union Failures
- Hamas: Families of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza recently filed a lawsuit in NY against anti-Israel activists and organizations that received financial support from Hamas. Rescued hostage Shlomi Ziv was informed by an Iran-backed Hamas captor that the Palestinian terror groups “bragged about having Hamas operatives on American university campuses” – including at Columbia. Defendants include well-known anti-Israel activists and groups, including Columbia grad Mahmoud Khalil, as well as co-founder and leader of Within Our Lifetime Nerdeen Kiswani, and a rep of Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine.
- The recently released October 8 documentary highlighted the surge of hatred on campuses following the Hamas 10/7 attacks. It detailed how student groups organized anti-Israel demonstrations and how some professors supported the violence. Lorenzo Vidino, director of the program on extremism at George Washington Univ., presented evidence from FBI wiretaps of a 1993 meeting by Hamas leaders in Philadelphia: “The main thing they discussed was how to present what Hamas was doing and make it palatable to Americans – including infiltrating American universities.”
- Qatar: A new report from the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy exposed secretive Qatari influence in Brown Univ.’s Choices Program. The curriculum is used in more than 8,000 K-12 schools across the country. The report revealed historical distortions of Israel’s history, undisclosed Qatari funding and a lack of transparency. ISGAP’s Exec. Dir. Dr. Charles Small: “American students should not be used as pawns in foreign propaganda campaigns – and end the silent manipulation of our children’s education.” Hamas leaders have long lived in Qatar and the royal family sponsors the global broadcaster Al Jazeera.
- Qatar also is a significant funder of American universities. Dr. Small previously led the first university-based institute dedicated to antisemitism research. After Yale inexplicably shut the program down, he launched an investigation that revealed Qatar likely contributed to the institute’s termination: “Qatar is using billions of dollars in unchecked funding to influence decision-makers, academic institutions, media and other power centers in the West.” ISGAP was the first to report on nearly $2 billion in donations to Cornell from 2001 to 2023. Americans for Public Trust recently released Foreign Money Flowing into U.S. Colleges and Universities, a detailed study tracking $60 billion of foreign funding funneled into American universities – $20 billion was paid to the top 10. Leading donors include Qatar and China.
- California: Leaders of the United Teachers Los Angeles union passed a motion 114-2 in opposition to a CA House bill “requiring CA’s Dept. of Education to create curriculum standards and to oversee ethnic studies instruction” following the Santa Ana settlement. They also voted 117-10 to revoking their professional relationship with the ADL. The union also voted against an antisemitism training session sponsored by the LA Jewish Federation: “This shocking decision represents a disturbing refusal to provide educators with vital knowledge when antisemitism is surging in schools.”
- Some Jewish teachers are leaving the San Francisco teachers union over similar issues. High school teacher Elizabeth Statmore: “Why am I paying dues to subsidize these people’s political hobbies – which include calling for the death of my people?”
- Universities taking serious steps serve as models for change: Universities demonstrate leadership only when they establish, enforce and publicly communicate policies against targeted harassment. A-rated universities implement reporting mechanisms, mandatory educational programs and procedures to hold offending students accountable. These concrete actions should be a blueprint for other campuses to create a safer campus environment for Jewish students, staff and visitors. Transparent and consistent enforcement of campus policies and procedures are necessary to combat hostility and ensure the safety of all students on campus.
- Bipartisan solutions are necessary to combat hate: Democrats and Republicans must unite to offer practical bipartisan political solutions. It is imperative that any form of hate not be weaponized for partisan gain. A unified approach across the political spectrum demonstrates a serious commitment to protecting Jewish communities. Elected officials must prioritize policies that foster understanding, promote education and ensure the safety of all individuals.
- Universities and school districts should adopt the IHRA definition: The IHRA working definition of antisemitism provides a valuable tool for identifying and addressing contemporary forms of hatred of the Jewish people. Universities that adopt this definition, such as Harvard, demonstrate a commitment to creating a better environment for their Jewish students. The IHRA definition gives universities a clear framework for recognizing and responding to anti-Jewish incidents. Broad adoption of the IHRA definition across universities would provide consistency and clarity in the fight against hatred.
- Student experiences reveal persistent challenges: Many Jewish students continue to report feeling unsafe on campus. They hide their Jewish identity to avoid harassment. This reveals a gap between university policies, news coverage and the actual reality of life on campus for students, staff and visitors. Universities must prioritize safety for all students. Campus administrators need to listen to student voices and implement tangible changes. They must create a campus culture that rejects hate.
- External influences demand scrutiny and transparency: The integrity of academic institutions is paramount and any external influence that threatens this must be carefully examined. Universities must be transparent about their funding sources and research partnerships, particularly those involving foreign entities. The flow of funding – including from Qatar to Middle Eastern Studies departments – raises concerns about potential biases and the influence of external agendas on academic discourse. Safeguarding against these potential biases is necessary for maintaining the credibility of academic research and fostering an environment of intellectual honesty.
A. Urge universities to update and enforce their codes of conduct: The ADL created a template – Harassment that Creates a Hostile Environment – that can be integrated by universities into their existing codes of conduct. It addresses targeted attacks against individuals based on identifiable characteristics, including religion, ethnicity and national origin. The ADL also is calling on all campus leaders to ensure that their existing codes of conduct are enforced.
B. Ask your Congress members to support bipartisan legislation: Contact your U.S. Representative and Senators to advocate for bipartisan legislation that addresses strengthens civil rights protections for Jewish students, staff and visitors and ensures schools are held accountable for failing to combat hate.
C. Watch the October 8 documentary: The must-see documentary chronicles the surge in hatred of Jews and support for Hamas on university campuses, the streets and social media in America immediately after the 10/7 attacks. The film shows how individuals and groups, including students, activists and celebrities embraced Hamas talking points.
The Evils of Antisemitism, by Archbishop of NY Cardinal Timothy Dolan
It seems every generation must learn anew that hatred against Jews is not just unacceptable, but a grave evil. They don’t call it “the world’s oldest prejudice” for nothing.
A century ago, Nazi-controlled newspapers in Europe pushed vile antisemitic propaganda, a path that led directly to Auschwitz. Today we see similar lies about the Jewish people and Judaism spread through social media, the rantings of protesters, and on popular podcasts.
While our country guarantees freedom of speech, no matter how loathsome, we should remember that there exists no tension between First Amendment legal protections and the Biblical obligation to denounce bigotry.
In other words, countering such opinions should not fall only to our Jewish brothers and sisters. Everyone must do their part. Sometimes in the past, sadly, we have been slow to do so.
For any Jewish people who might be reading this, please know: The Catholic Church stands with you in the struggle against antisemitism. And for those on social media who call themselves Christians, but spread hate against Jews, we say that they have become blinded to core tenets of the faith they proclaim; that we are all equal in the eyes of God, that Christianity is a stem that grows off the good olive tree that is the Jewish faith, and that in the words of Pope Francis, “a Christian cannot be an antisemite.”
“Rather,” the Holy Father added, “we are called to commit ourselves to ensure that antisemitism is banned from the human community.”
Click here to read Father Dolan’s full text.
Stories Impacting American Jews
Stories Impacting the U.S. and Israel
Stories From Around the World
- Netherlands: Perpetrators of Amsterdam ‘Jew hunt’ receive very lenient sentencing; Attacks falsely described as sports hooliganism even though they were pre-planned to specifically target Jews
- France: Rabbi assaulted while walking with son on the street; French president condemns antisemitism “virus”
- Germany: Israel “looking forward” to working with incoming chancellor: “Germany is the second most important strategic partner in all dimensions” because of the Holocaust
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This content is developed by The Focus Project in partnership with MERCAZ USA. The Focus Project distributes weekly news and talking points on timely issues concerning Israel and the Jewish people, including antisemitism, anti-Zionism and the delegitimization of Israel. It represents a consensus view across a spectrum of major American Jewish organizations. MERCAZ USA recognizes and respects the diversity of views on these issues among its readers and the community at large.
The Focus Project develops and distributes news, background, history and weekly talking points on timely issues to inform individuals and organizations about issues affecting the American Jewish community and Israel, and help readers speak with more consistency and clarity. The editions also provide potential responses for addressing incidents of antisemitism and anti-Zionism. With input from a spectrum of major American Jewish organizations, we focus on that which unites us, rising above political and individual agendas.
Recognizing that hatred of Jews comes in many forms and directions, we strive to address all sources as they arise, and educate our growing audience on topics ranging from inter-religious relations to relevant international developments. From week to week, we may focus on issues arising from the political left, university campuses, from the political right and from institutions, government, and corporations. We don’t try to address all issues in each edition. We hope you will find this information useful in your writing and/or speaking. We are always open to your feedback: info@focus-project.org.
