Speaker Johnson To Announce Crackdown on Antisemitism on U.S. College Campuses

[Webster]

(The Guardian) Mike Johnson to announce 'crackdown' on antisemitism at universities as protests intensify
As campus protests against Israel’s invasion of Gaza escalate nationwide – including at Columbia University, where demonstrators took over a building overnight – the GOP is pressing forward with allegations that the rallies are motivated by anti-Jewish bias. While the evidence for that is disputed, the Republican speaker of the House Mike Johnson today plans to announce “a House-wide crackdown on the virus of antisemitism spreading throughout college campuses”. Johnson paid a visit to Columbia last week, where he alleged Hamas “backed” the student protests, a remark that was criticized as baseless. He has also threatened to use Congress’s powers to revoke visas from foreign students involved in the demonstrations, and cut funding to universities that do not protect Jewish students.

Johnson will hold a press conference at 2.15pm ET to elaborate on just what his proposed crackdown entails, while the Republican-controlled House is also considering legislation to codify into federal law a definition of antisemitism that has been criticized for equating criticism of Israel with prejudice against Jews. Of course, whatever the House passes must be approved by the Democratic-led Senate, and there’s no guarantee they’ll go along with the speaker’s plans. Expect to hear more from Congress about the protests as the day unfolds.

 

[Webster]

(The Guardian) Johnson to detail House Republican "crackdown on antisemitism" at universities
Speaker Mike Johnson and other top House Republicans are expected to in a few minutes announce their plans for a “crackdown on antisemitism” at universities nationwide, amid pro-Israel protests that have prompted school administrators to call in the police and suspend students.

Johnson has been aggressive in condemning these disruptions. He visited Columbia University last week – the site of one of the most intense protests – and alleged that Hamas “backed” the demonstrations, a remark that was criticized as baseless.

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Johnson calls Columbia protesters 'terrorist sympathizers', vows investigations
Mike Johnson kept up his hardline rhetoric against anti-Israel protesters on college campuses, singling out demonstrators at Columbia University as “terrorist sympathizers” and vowing the House will investigate the protests nationwide.

Referring to the New York City-based university’s administrators, Johnson said, “What do they need to see before they stand up to these terrorist sympathizers? And that is exactly what they are.”

He blamed the Columbia demonstrators for inspiring similar protests nationwide: What’s worse, though, is that Columbia’s choice to ignore the safety of their Jewish students and appease antisemites has inspired even more hateful protests to pop up across the country.

Without getting into specifics, he announced that House committees would open investigations into the protests: We will not allow antisemitism to thrive on campus, and we will hold these universities accountable for their failure to protect Jewish students on campus. And that’s why today, we’re here to announce a House-wide effort to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses. Nearly every committee here has a role to play in these efforts to stop the madness that has ensued.