Exclusive | Advocacy groups call on US to crack down on anti-Israel protests on college campuses

Several advocacy groups and non-profits are calling for new Senate hearings to crack down on anti-Israel protests and incidents on college campuses that threaten the safety of Jewish students.In a joint letter to Vermont Sen.Bernie Sanders – chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee – the groups said it was necessary for the government to cut funds from organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine over antisemitic incidents that have erupted at universities across the US in the past year.

The letter was spearheaded by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Action, a Washington-based think tank, and Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, an American nonprofit group, with other groups signing along.“Since the October 7 atrocities, Jewish students, faculty, and staff have been under increasing attack on campuses nationwide,” the groups wrote.” Many Jewish students feel unsafe expressing their identities on campus, and seven in 10 Jewish students reported experiencing or witnessing antisemitism last year.”The groups said universities have the duty to protect its Jewish students, claiming groups like the SJP serve as a direct threat that should not receive any funding from the school.

If schools continue to fund such student groups or fail to remove them, the nonprofit groups said the colleges must be held accountable by the US government.“The federal government has a responsibility to enforce existing laws, such as Title VI, to prevent discrimination and intimidation,” Toby Dershowitz, managing Director of FDD Action, told The Post.

“Jewish students are under siege, the continued targets of hate and vitriol simply for their faith,” she added.“It is vital that Congress takes action to protect Jewish students and ensure safe learning environments for all.” Charles Small, the ISGAP’s executive editor,” echoed Dershowitz’s claim that the SJP’s activities were breaching federa...