Topline
President Joe Biden condemned a “ferocious surge of antisemitism” on college campuses in a speech Tuesday, reiterating his “ironclad” commitment to Israel and “the safety of the Jewish people,” hours after the White House warned colleges and schools that failing to protect Jewish students against antisemitism could lead to civil rights violations.
Key Facts
Jewish students are being “blocked, harassed, attacked while walking to class,” Biden said during an address at a Holocaust remembrance ceremony in Washington on Tuesday, adding that “violence, attacks, destroying property is not peaceful protest” and is “against the law.”
Biden, reiterating his “commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel and its right to exist as an independent state,” said “people are already forgetting . . . Hamas unleashed this terror. It was Hamas that brutalized Israelis.”
Biden’s speech coincided with letters sent by the Department of Education on Tuesday to every school district and college in the country outlining examples of antisemitic discrimination that could lead to investigations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act—guidance the White House said is “meant to ensure that colleges and universities do a better job of protecting both Jewish students and all of their students.”
The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights is already investigating more than 100 complaints of harassment and discrimination, against both Jewish and Muslim students, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said while testifying before Congress last month about the agency’s response to the rise in incidents associated with the Israel-Hamas war, warning that “ultimately, if a school refuses to comply with Title VI, yes, we would remove federal dollars.”
The letter was among several new measures the Biden administration announced Tuesday to combat antisemitism on college campuses, including a new online campus safety resources guide, and working with technology firms to monitor and prevent antisemitic content online.
Chief Critics
Republicans in Congress have blamed leaders of universities that have been rocked by protests for failing to prevent antisemitism and the chaos associated with the protests. A coalition of GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called on Columbia University president Minouche Shafik to resign over her handling of the demonstrations, while multiple GOP-led House committees have launched investigations into schools’ handling of the protests, threatening to withhold federal funding if they’re found to be in violation of Title VI. The House last week passed legislation with bipartisan support calling on the Department of Education to adopt a broader definition of antisemitism used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, though some critics have argued it would infringe on free speech rights.
Key Background
Biden’s speech comes as the Israel-Hamas war has divided the Democratic Party, as some progressives have called for Biden to take a stronger stance against Israel’s invasion of Gaza amid a rising death toll. The sentiment has spilled onto college campuses in the form of dramatic pro-Palestinian protests that have led to mass arrests, canceled classes and graduations, and an alarming rise in incidents of antisemitism. Biden has expressed unwavering support for Israel, while at the same time urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take a more measured approach to the military action in Gaza to spare the lives of civilians and humanitarian aid workers. While Biden’s staunch support for Israel has deterred some in his progressive base, his growing frustration with Netanyahu has prompted some Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, to blame him for the protests and rise in incidents of antisemitism since the start of the war on Oct. 7.
Tangent
Biden had been virtually silent on the campus protests up until last week, when he delivered brief remarks from the White House in defense of “peaceful protest,” but also warned “violent protest is not protected.” The comments came as police at campuses across the country, including UCLA and Columbia University, dismantled protest encampments and arrested hundreds of demonstrators. “We are a civil society, and order must prevail,” Biden said, adding that he would not call the National Guard to intervene, as some Republicans have suggested, nor would he change his Israel-Hamas war policies.
Further Reading
Biden Condemns ‘Chaos’ Amid Tense Campus Protests—Doesn’t Support Calling In National Guard (Forbes)
Biden Launches Initiative To Combat Antisemitism On College Campuses Amid Israel-Hamas War (Forbes)
Trump Calls Racist ‘Unite The Right’ Rally—Where Young Woman Died—A ‘Peanut’ Compared To Pro-Palestinian Protests (Forbes)
