Recent events have highlighted a significant rise in antisemitism across multiple prestigious universities in the United States, particularly following the October 7 atrocities, prompting various responses from the academic community and legal actions. At the University of California, Berkeley, Professor Ron Hassner has initiated a sleep-in protest to draw attention to the administration's lack of action against antisemitism, emphasizing the unsafe environment for Jewish students. Similarly, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) faces criticism and a civil rights lawsuit for failing to prevent antisemitism, harassment, and violence towards Jewish students on campus. The lawsuit specifically mentions the university's controversial decisions regarding guest speakers, including refusing to host Dennis Ross while allegedly inviting a Hamas apologist, and MIT groups holding a launch event for a novel by a PFLP member. Furthermore, Congressional probes and a lawsuit are underway concerning Harvard University's handling of antisemitism, with former advisory group member Dara Horn set to testify. Columbia University is also under scrutiny for its alleged failure to address antisemitism effectively, with Assistant Professor Shai Davidai claiming the university launched a retaliatory investigation against him. Additionally, 100 Hebrew University faculty members have protested the dismissal of a scholar alleging Gaza genocide, and there's a report of antisemitism at the University of Texas. MIT is also facing backlash for pushing a BDS referendum, and Jewish Northwestern students are shocked by the glorification of antisemitic terrorism. These incidents have sparked widespread concern and debate about the prevalence of antisemitism in higher education and the measures necessary to combat it.
Very disheartened to see a place of worship for Jewish students at my alma mater, a place I spent many Jewish holidays, was vandalized. The war is devastating for many — but making students afraid to be Jewish on the UT campus is not going to solve it. https://t.co/LQ3PXAi9cZ
UC Berkeley professor Ron Hassner kicked off a sit-in protest 9 days ago, in response to the university administrators’ neglect in protecting Jewish students. I recently had the chance to meet him and a group of Jewish students on the UCB Campus. The brazen anti-Jewish… https://t.co/WHHa7jQ3EA
Columbia University blasted for lax protest policies in antisemitism report https://t.co/6epToh46WO https://t.co/GRQTRDAxrY
MIT refused to host Dennis Ross? Man, these institutions are so very beholden to the extreme voices that it doesn't matter their number (though their numbers are growing). As I've said before, it really is even worse than we thought https://t.co/aUaMP550mH
A former member of Harvard University’s now-defunct antisemitism board will testify before House lawmakers Monday as GOP leaders continue their investigation into the university's handling of antisemitism. https://t.co/g1G74t94Zv
When you have different policies for Jews and non-Jews, @MIT, that's antisemitism. MIT told Jewish alumni it wouldn't host Dennis Ross because he's a "politician." But MIT is hosting Hamas apologist @DMogahed, who has also worked in the White House. https://t.co/ZzCq4X1xcs
My latest at @JewishJournal: Lawsuit: MIT Failed to Take Action Against Antisemitism A lawsuit filed on March 7 alleges that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) failed to properly enforce their policies against antisemitic incidents on campus, particularly regarding…
“MIT Refused To Host Dennis Ross. It Invited a Hamas Apologist Instead.” https://t.co/WY1CrnBmiN
Massachusetts Institute of Technology was named in a civil rights lawsuit that accuses the university of failing to prevent anti-Semitism, harassment and violence toward Jewish students on campus. #LawdotcomRadar https://t.co/PFVrFzmJ9o https://t.co/SSQEVDmlXR
Another Ivy League President Will Face Congress Over Campus Antisemitism https://t.co/LTmPIK5YEp
“Northwestern Students Shocked by Glorification of Antisemitic Terrorism” https://t.co/3Ch50xbTB5 Cc: @EdWorkforceCmte
After two Northwestern students asked Congress to investigate their school's handling of antisemitism, a spokesman told @NRO the claims in their letter were inaccurate. One student told NR that without outside action, "there would be no accountability." https://t.co/cJ1BJYCSAw
Unbelievable. College campuses have lost the plot when MIT declines to host @AmbDennisRoss to speak. There is something truly wrong in higher education today. Just a disgrace. https://t.co/rGR5KCOTBH
Jewish Northwestern Students Shocked by Glorification of Antisemitic Terrorism |@zach_kessel https://t.co/NGZfAaXnOZ
This week's Campus Watch in @JewishJournal: 🧵 Columbia Prof Shai Davidai Says University Has Launched Retaliatory Investigation Against Him Columbia University Business School Assistant Professor @ShaiDavidai announced on March 8 that the university has launched an…
House Republicans to interview former Harvard antisemitism taskforce member https://t.co/fxefkQmoOL https://t.co/fxefkQmoOL
Columbia University has a deeply troubling pattern of antisemitic incidences on its campus, yet it has completely failed to respond in any meaningful way. It's time for Columbia's president and Board to answer for its failure to protect Jewish students. https://t.co/jHTb9z6NDU
For months, I've been speaking out against @Columbia's refusal to deal with pro-terror students organizations on campus. I thought I've seen it all. I was wrong. (a short thread)
Students from some of the nation’s top universities shared their experiences in dealing with antisemitism on campus in a bipartisan roundtable hosted by the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce. @bandlersbanter reports: https://t.co/OGH9q0SyHp
🚨 ACTION ALERT 🚨 Antisemites at @MIT are pushing a BDS referendum. Jewish students are already feeling threatened due to extreme antisemitism on campus, and BDS will only make it worse. Call on MIT's administration to prevent the antisemitic referendum: https://t.co/5sLCSE0G5a
Antisemitism at University of Texas: https://t.co/Xw4YGP9elk
“During my years in journalism, I have never seen such comprehensive abuse directed against a vulnerable campus minority group as I’ve seen directed at Jewish students and faculty since Hamas’s terror attack on Oct. 7.” https://t.co/nIz3mtR6Hy
The letter to MIT President Sally Kornbluth said that multiple faculty and staff "have made antisemitic remarks and justified Palestinian terrorism" @twthigherground https://t.co/qrB4ruMG3P
Cornell is one of the top universities where bigoted ideas against Jews, as well as the only Jewish state in the world, are expressed and left unchallenged, and where Jews exist in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. Read our NEW REPORT https://t.co/LALv6aWpVE
The faculty called the congressional committee investigating antisemitism on campus “a new form of McCarthyism.” https://t.co/W0sa7Y0ePB
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce will interview former Harvard antisemitism advisory group member Dara Horn ’99 on Monday as it considers further legal action against the University. @cam_kettles reports. https://t.co/OUhgud4XtX
Ron Hassner wants students to see that at least one professor is “sleeping as badly at night as they are.” The FP's @juliaonatroika meets the unlikely activist who won’t rest until @UCBerkeley agrees to take antisemitism and free speech seriously. https://t.co/EXZYAIIagY
1/3 Amidst Congressional probe and lawsuit over the school's handling of antisemitism, @MIT groups are holding a launch event for a novel by a still-living member of the PFLP terrorist organization. They also plan on selling the book there, which may violate the law. https://t.co/x7iAmZjz4s
100 Hebrew University faculty members protest dismissal of scholar alleging Gaza genocide https://t.co/UFRYG38cWZ
Ron Hassner won’t sleep (at home) until Jewish students feel safe on campus. @juliaonatroika reports. Plus: @aranama on Latino voters’ come-to-Jesus moment, and @opinion_joe says Stephen Glass deserves a break. Read today’s digest from @ollywiseman: https://t.co/dikoENmCtT
“I’m a scholar. I don’t believe in activism,” says the professor on hour 93 of his sleep-in protest to bring attention to a rising tide of Jew-hatred on the @UCBerkeley campus—and the administration’s inaction in the face of it. @juliaonatroika reports. https://t.co/EXZYAIIagY
In today’s digest from @ollywiseman: —@juliaonatroika meets the Berkeley professor going to extremes for Jewish student safety. —@opinion_joe says Stephen Glass deserves another shot. —@aranama on why ‘LatinoLand’ is flocking to evangelical Christianity. https://t.co/dikoENmCtT
MIT president Sally Kornbluth announced the “Standing Together Against Hate” initiative with fanfare after Oct 7. The school refused to host @AmbDennisRoss as a part of it - https://t.co/Jtbx9ea7uC
.@LindaDayan9 Should an Israeli university fire an academic who said Hamas' October 7 atrocities are 'lies'? https://t.co/yWTQoOoRDN