Jew-hatred on campus
In Trump’s first term, Jews were declared to be a minority group protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. And now, just weeks away from beginning his second term, Trump has laid down the law, in a speech he just gave at a rally against antisemitism in Washington. American universities that fail to combat antisemitism on their campuses should expect severe repercussions, including the loss of accreditation and of federal research contracts. More on Trump’s determination to stamp out campus antisemitism can be found here: “Trump to universities: Stamp out antisemitism or lose accreditation,” by Mathilda Heller, Jerusalem Post, November 14, 2024:
All American universities must end campus antisemitism or they will lose accreditation, President-elect Donald Trump promised during a rally against antisemitism in Washington.
To “defeat antisemitism and defend Jewish citizens in America,” Trump said he would inform every college president that if they do not “end antisemitic propaganda,” they would lose accreditation and federal support.
He did not say they “may lose” accreditation. Trump said they will lose accreditation, and their share of the billions of dollars in federal support that universities receive. A double blow to their finances and reputation.
“We will not subsidize the creation of terrorist sympathizers, and we’re not going to do it – certainly [not] on American soil,” he said.
Trump added that once in the Oval Office, he would inform all educational institutions that if they permit violence or harassment against Jewish students, they will be “held accountable for violations of the civil rights law.”
“It’s very important – Jewish Americans must have equal protection under the law, and they’re going to get it,” he said. “At the same time, my administration will move swiftly to restore safety for Jewish students [on campuses] and Jewish people on American streets.”…
Those wet-behind-the-ears stormtroopers will no longer be allowed to harass and attack Jewish students. They won’t be able to march around the campus, entering lecture halls to disrupt classes taught by Jews and Israelis, or entering campus buildings in order to vandalize them, as they did on April 28 to Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, in an attempt to pressure the administration to divest from Israeli companies, and to cut institutional ties to Israeli academic institutions. If universities do not take forceful action against those who are fomenting a climate of antisemitism — something that very few of them did this past year — then they stand to lose their accreditation, which means their students would no longer have access to federal financial aid. In addition, earning a degree earned from an unaccredited school can also hold little value to employers and disqualify someone from attending graduate school. In addition, the federal government funds billions of dollars in research projects conducted at universities; that money could dry up if not enough is done to fight antisemitic acts on campus.
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I don't recall my Jewish friends being attacked when I was in college in the 1960s. They did have their own fraternities. At the time I was taking a heavier-than-normal load of classes so I could graduate in three years and go into the Marine Corps as an officer so I had little time for fraternity parties. I think Trump is right to speak out against the harassment of Jews. The ones I know are decent people who contribute to the US in many ways. Colleges and universities should protect their students from harassment like this.
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