It may have seemed that the problem was resolved after the public congressional hearings of university presidents and the resignations that followed. But that is not the case. According to a report published by the majority staff of the US House Committee on Education and the Workforce, antisemitism in higher education remains a serious problem and may be getting worse.
This report points to several factors that help shape the hostile atmosphere toward Israel and Jewish students on campus. As in the past, it addresses both academic and administrative staff, some of whom have spread antisemitism, as well as anti-Israel student leaders, whom the report describes as a kind of “gang leaders” responsible for repeated harassment of Jewish students. However, this time the report also points a clear finger at university leadership. According to the findings, some have traded their academic hats for activist t-shirts. This point is crucial because it underscores that university presidents are not merely administrators. That is, they must not only decide where and when protests will take place, as most have done until now, but they must express a clear and uncompromising moral stand against antisemitism, including the harassment of Jewish students on campus.
An extensive chapter of the report is devoted to another problematic issue: the branches of American universities in non-democratic countries, especially Qatar. These branches have played a double game. On one hand, they are committed to upholding and even promoting Western, liberal values; on the other, they have succumbed to the dictates of their host countries. For example, blatant anti-Israel content was taught at Northwestern and Georgetown campuses in Qatar, while content critical—even if legitimate—of Qatari policy was eliminated from the discourse. This double game cannot continue. Although Israel cannot invest funds in American academia as Qatar does, it should expose such incidents wherever possible. Doing so would allow the relevant authorities to deal with them, ensure that Jewish students can study in safety and freedom, and prevent incitement against Israel, even when it occurs at campus branches hidden from public view.
It may have seemed that the problem was resolved after the public congressional hearings of university presidents and the resignations that followed. But that is not the case. According to a report published by the majority staff of the US House Committee on Education and the Workforce, antisemitism in higher education remains a serious problem and may be getting worse.
This report points to several factors that help shape the hostile atmosphere toward Israel and Jewish students on campus. As in the past, it addresses both academic and administrative staff, some of whom have spread antisemitism, as well as anti-Israel student leaders, whom the report describes as a kind of “gang leaders” responsible for repeated harassment of Jewish students. However, this time the report also points a clear finger at university leadership. According to the findings, some have traded their academic hats for activist t-shirts. This point is crucial because it underscores that university presidents are not merely administrators. That is, they must not only decide where and when protests will take place, as most have done until now, but they must express a clear and uncompromising moral stand against antisemitism, including the harassment of Jewish students on campus.
An extensive chapter of the report is devoted to another problematic issue: the branches of American universities in non-democratic countries, especially Qatar. These branches have played a double game. On one hand, they are committed to upholding and even promoting Western, liberal values; on the other, they have succumbed to the dictates of their host countries. For example, blatant anti-Israel content was taught at Northwestern and Georgetown campuses in Qatar, while content critical—even if legitimate—of Qatari policy was eliminated from the discourse. This double game cannot continue. Although Israel cannot invest funds in American academia as Qatar does, it should expose such incidents wherever possible. Doing so would allow the relevant authorities to deal with them, ensure that Jewish students can study in safety and freedom, and prevent incitement against Israel, even when it occurs at campus branches hidden from public view.