Lawmakers Call for Accountability Over Pro-Hamas Campus Violence

By Casey Harper (The Middle Sq.)

Professional-Hamas demonstrations on school campuses have turn into more and more intense, and even violent in current days, pushing lawmakers to name for a change.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., despatched a letter this week to the Columbia College Board of Trustees with an ultimatum: “take motion towards antisemitism or lose federal funding.”

“The anti-Israel mobs which have taken over Columbia College in New York Metropolis are as disturbing as they’re un-American,” Scott mentioned within the letter. “Jewish college students not really feel protected on Columbia’s campus given the persistent threats of violence. One scholar was assaulted by a pro-Hamas demonstrator over the weekend. This isn’t a peaceable demonstration supporting a social or civil trigger.”

Scott’s letter comes after a Jewish scholar on Yale’s campus was reportedly stabbed within the eye by a Palestinian flag at a pro-Hamas demonstration. New York College college students and college carried out a walk-out to protest the pro-Hamas protests. Police arrested about 150 pro-Hamas protesters at NYU and Yale, in line with media studies.

New England Patriots workforce proprietor Robert Kraft publicly introduced he was ending his donations to Columbia over the antisemitic protests.  

The on-campus protests kicked off after the Hamas terror group invaded Israel Oct. 7 and killed over 1,000 individuals, together with many civilians, a few of whom had been additionally raped, in addition to kids who had been killed by Hamas. Israel has responded with a chronic bombing of Gaza, focusing on Hamas members. Now, although, Iran and Israel have exchanged fireplace, escalating tensions within the area. 

As The Middle Sq. beforehand reported, video of the protests on Columbia’s campus present protesters chanting requires violence.

“We are saying justice, you say how? Burn Tel Aviv to the bottom!”

“Hamas we love you. We assist your rockets too!”

“Crimson, black, inexperienced, and white, we assist Hamas’ struggle!”

“It’s proper to insurgent, let Hamas give them hell!”

Scott has, together with U.S. Sen. Tim Scott., R-S.C., launched the Cease Antisemitism on Faculty Campuses Act, which might finish federal funding for faculties and universities “that assist, authorize, or facilitate occasions that promote antisemitism.”

“As members of the Board of Trustees for Columbia College, you have to use the facility of your place to demand motion from the administration, or take away the present management and put in place an administration that may guarantee the protection of your college students. In case you fail to do that, Congress will act,” the letter mentioned. “We won’t sit silently whereas American college students are threatened by terrorist sympathizers that decision for the eradication of Jewish individuals and the destruction of Israel.”

In an analogous transfer, a coalition of senators despatched a letter to the Biden administration calling on the U.S. Division of Justice and the Division of Schooling to revive order on the campuses.

“You should take motion to revive order and shield Jewish college students on our school campuses,” the letter mentioned. “President Biden issued a press release on Sunday, purporting to sentence the outbreak of anti-Semitism. If that assertion was critical, it have to be accompanied by rapid motion out of your departments.”

Home Speaker Mike Johnson known as on the president of Columbia College to resign for shutting down courses after letting pro-Hamas protests get out of hand, the newest improvement in chaos unfolding on campuses nationwide.

Johnson joined Jewish college students on Columbia’s campus and known as on Columbia College President Minouche Shafik to resign, calling her a “weak chief.”

“They can’t even assure the protection of Jewish college students?” Johnson mentioned on the Hugh Hewitt present. “They’re anticipated to run for his or her lives and keep residence from class? It’s maddening. …

“What we’re seeing on these school campuses throughout the nation is disgusting and unacceptable, and each chief, each political official, each citizen of excellent conscience has to talk out and say that this isn’t who we’re in America, and we have now received to have accountability, and that’s what me and my colleagues are going to be engaged on.

Even Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu known as out the antisemitism on American campuses.

“Anti-Semitism on campuses in the USA is harking back to what occurred in German universities within the Thirties,” he mentioned in a publish on X, previously referred to as Twitter. “The world can not stand idly by.”

Columbia College didn’t reply to a request for remark.

Syndicated with permission from The Middle Sq..