Finally! Accountability for Anti-Semitic Activities on Campus

The universities have abandoned their mandate to educate students and provide a safe environment for learning. Because they are primarily Leftists, they favor those causes, including blaming Israel for the war in Gaza and supporting Hamas. So, these academics are not in the least interested in condemning and punishing students and infiltrators to their schools who support not only rioting on behalf of terrorists, but attacking Jews on their campuses. The campus is no longer a safe learning environment:

Campus antisemitism isn’t restricted to these widely publicized incidents. Some Jewish parents say their children privately admit to feeling unsafe on campus. A survey by Alums for Campus Fairness finds ‘44% of Jewish students report never or rarely feeling safe identifying as a Jew at their school.’

Since the universities have refused to step up and condemn and punish anti-Semitic activities on campus, the federal government is stepping in. I hate seeing the government take this role, but since the colleges refuse to take ethical and protective steps for their Jewish students, I’m glad to see someone with the courage to do the right thing.

In this instance, the man of courage is Senator Marco Rubio. He has watched prosecutors quietly drop charges against rioters, and administrators try to negotiate with belligerent students. This week he will propose the Preventing Antisemitic Harassment on Campuses Act:

‘[It] would extend Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to cover religious discrimination (with an exception for religious institutions). It would also explicitly prohibit harassment or discrimination ‘on the basis of actual or perceived Jewish ancestry or actual or perceived Jewish religion.’

Senator Rubio is adamant about the necessity for this legislation:

Taxpayer dollars shouldn’t fund nor facilitate pro-terrorist activities, and Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) should take action in preventing harassment by terrorism supporters. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Ending Subsidies for Pro-Terrorist Activities on Campus Act to ensure federal dollars are not being used to support pro-terrorist activities on college campuses and require that IHEs have policies to address them.

Typically, the Department of Education gives a slap on the hand to these colleges. But now those colleges who don’t comply will pay a penalty:

Academic programs would receive a clear warning for the first offense, escalating to a 10% reduction of federal assistance after the second and a 33% reduction after the third. That would ensure that all students receive an education free of discrimination and harassment.

You might assume that academics who are supposedly dedicated to education and learning would make sure that students could study in a safe environment. You would be wrong.

I have written an email to Senator Rubio, recommending that requirements of enforcement by the IHEs also be included. Otherwise, they could easily ignore the new requirements.

With anti-Semitism growing, we can no longer afford to look the other way.

You only need to watch the first 36 seconds.