Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans to Chairman Durbin: Hold Hearing on Civil Rights Violations of Jewish Students and Proliferation of Terrorist Ideology on Campuses

WASHINGTON - Every Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, led by Ranking Member U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), today called on Chairman U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) to hold a hearing on the civil rights violations of Jewish students and the proliferation of terrorist ideology on college campuses.

The Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans wrote, "Since Hamas barbarically attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, anti-Israel activists have threatened the safety and rights of Jewish university students. This hostile antisemitism has reached an inflection point over the past two weeks at several prominent, and federally funded, universities… Jewish students are being actively targeted, harassed, intimidated, threatened, and in some cases assaulted for one reason: their heritage and religion. This is fundamentally un-American. It is also a federal crime."

They continued,"According to several reports, a Hezbollah flag was seen last week at an encampment at Princeton University. At Stanford University, an individual was photographed wearing a Hamas headband. Lest their motives be mistaken, anti-Israel activists have also been chanting 'death to America' and 'globalize the intifada' at several campuses. Who is funding these activists and what agenda do they have? We are witnessing in real-time the radicalization and indoctrination of people across the country by terrorist organizations who wish to end America as we know it. This has been simmering below the surface for some time. There are several university-sanctioned centers, curricula, and other events that are anti-Semitic and espouse radical terrorist-aligned beliefs. "

The Senators concluded, "Accordingly, our Committee should examine why more is not being done to protect the civil rights of innocent students across America. We must also examine the threat to national security posed by the proliferation of radical Islamist ideology in the academy. These pressing issues demand our immediate attention."

The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), John Kennedy (R-Louisiana), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee).

Full text of the letter is HERE.

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