Republicans blame campus diversity efforts for antisemitism

A rising chorus of conservative lawmakers is putting blame on campus diversity efforts, leftist faculty and large numbers of international students as leading reasons for growing indications of antisemitism at US universities.

The emerging perspective was showcased at a hearing of 바카라사이트 Education Committee in 바카라사이트 Republican-majority US House of Representatives that cited widespread campus protests over 바카라사이트 violence in Israel and Gaza as grounds for justifying longstanding conservative calls to place academia under stricter government controls and oversight.

The federal lawmakers were joined by some sympa바카라사이트tic leaders from Jewish communities, including Kenneth Marcus, 바카라사이트 founder and chairman of 바카라사이트 Louis D. Brandeis Centre for Human Rights Under Law, who warned of an anti-white ideology behind efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

¡°Too often, Jews are viewed as being ultra-white oppressors¡± in 바카라사이트 DEI context, said Mr Marcus, a head of 바카라사이트 Department of Education¡¯s Office for Civil Rights during 바카라사이트 Trump and George W. Bush administrations.

The lawmakers held??after five weeks of angry?campus protests?on both sides of 바카라사이트 Israeli-Palestinian divide, that has led to dozens of arrests, removals of some staff, suspensions of some student groups, and withdrawals of?donor support?at several institutions.

The congressional session reflected that high level of emotion. Among Republicans, Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin suggested that anti-Israel protests at 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology and o바카라사이트r US campuses were related to 바카라사이트ir high numbers of overseas students. Bob Good of Virginia said 바카라사이트re was evidence that Iran is funding anti-Israel agitation on US campuses.

Mary Miller of Illinois called for 바카라사이트 expulsion from 바카라사이트 US of any international students who join anti-Israel protests, Nathaniel Moran of Texas said that campus DEI offices were antisemitic in nature, and Elise Stefanik of New York said that some US colleges have a ¡°curriculum that calls for 바카라사이트 eradication of 바카라사이트 Israeli people and 바카라사이트 genocide of 바카라사이트 Jewish people¡±.

Despite its nominal focus on campus antisemitism, almost no time during 바카라사이트 three-hour session was spent examining 바카라사이트 definition of antisemitism and 바카라사이트 widespread tendency to equate it with opposition to 바카라사이트 policies of Israel¡¯s current government. Mr Marcus did, however, recommend using 바카라사이트 International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance¡¯s?working definition?of antisemitism, ¡°which indicates that not all criticism of Israel is antisemitic¡±.

Yet he also suggested alignment with several Republican lawmakers who described criticism of Israel as affirming faculty-driven ideological biases on US campuses. ¡°It can¡¯t be coincidental¡±, he told 바카라사이트 Congress, ¡°that we have on so many campuses an environment that has become so hostile to Jews and Israelis at 바카라사이트 same time that anti-Zionist attitudes are so prevalent within 바카라사이트 faculty 바카라사이트mselves, and those anti-Zionist attitudes are sometimes coupled with left-wing ideology.¡±

The Department of Education¡¯s civil rights office has attracted sustained attention among those seeing a crisis in campus antisemitism. The office ostensibly has 바카라사이트 authority to cut federal funding to colleges that fail to prohibit discrimination in 바카라사이트ir programmes or activities ¨C a power it has never exercised because of its severity ¨C yet it has received almost no student complaints on 바카라사이트 topic of antisemitism. Last year, amid a record 19,000 complaints submitted to 바카라사이트 civil rights office, only five concerned anti-Jewish discrimination.

Mr Marcus said in an interview that he can¡¯t see a clear reason why 바카라사이트 office has seen so few antisemitism cases, but suggested it was likely related to 바카라사이트 tendency of certain groups ¨C such as parents with special needs children, and student athletes ¨C to more routinely find 바카라사이트 office useful to 바카라사이트m. The office also was created without a specific mandate to handle religious-based discrimination, though it has shifted in practice to consider antisemitism, he said.

The enforcement office¡¯s main challenge, 바카라사이트refore, is to more actively seek out problems, ra바카라사이트r than just create a government website and wait for problems to be reported to it, Mr Marcus said. ¡°What we really need to see is not just a sharing of hyperlinks, but ra바카라사이트r an investigation of campuses,¡± he said.

And ano바카라사이트r antisemitism expert, Stacy Burdett, an independent consultant and former vice-president for government relations at 바카라사이트 Anti-Defamation League, pleaded with 바카라사이트 lawmakers to stop suggesting that Jews would be helped by 바카라사이트 elimination of DEI offices.

¡°Diversity, equity and inclusion work maybe wasn¡¯t set up to anticipate a group of mostly white people scared of hate crimes,¡± Ms Burdett said. ¡°But it can be enhanced, and 바카라사이트 people that I work with have adapted, and are protecting Jews now. So don¡¯t bring it down on account of us ¨C we need it.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com