Campus Watch August 8, 2024

House Republicans Question UCSF Over Handling of Antisemitism, Threaten to Revoke Federal Funding

The chairs of three U.S. House committees sent a letter to UC San Francisco (UCSF) on July 31 questioning the university on its handling of antisemitism and threatening to revoke federal funding from the university if it doesn’t ameliorate the situation.

The three House chairs who penned the letter, which was obtained by Jewish Insider, were Committee on Energy and Commerce Chair Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers  (R-Wash.), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) and Subcommittee on Health Chair Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.). The letter highlighted how at UCSF Health, “patients walking to the medical center see and hear pro-terror and pro-violence statements and symbols, including Hamas symbolism, at the nearby encampment.” Additionally, “there have been numerous antisemitic public statements by faculty, staff, and students at UCSF and/or UCSF Health, such as assertions that patients should fear Jewish doctors, false claims that Israel trains U.S. police to brutalize people of color, or statements that Israelis in the U.S., including students at U.S. universities and medical schools, in service with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) should be tried for war crimes. At least one medical professional at UCSF Health supported and called for the blockade of the Bay Bridge to protest Israel, which delayed the delivery of multiple organs en route for transplant, endangering the lives of patients.” The letter stated that anti-Israel protests “caused disruption to the learning process for students and faculty, with protestors stealing construction equipment and damaging university property.”

The letter asked the university to repsond to a series of questions on the number of antisemitic complaints they have received and exactly they have done about it. The letter also noted that “failure to respond appropriately to and prevent harassment and discrimination … may be grounds to withhold federal funds from the university and its associated medical centers.”

UW-Milwaukee Suspends 5 Anti-Israel Groups Over Social Media Post

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) announced on July 31 that five anti-Israel groups have been suspended over a social media post stating that “any organization or entity that supports Israel is not welcome at UWM.”

The July 19 Instagram story in question, which came from the uwm4palestinecoalition, stated in part, per Campus Reform: “We will no longer normalize genocidal extremists walking on our campus. Any organization or entity that supports Israel is not welcome at UWM. This includes the local extremist groups such as Hillel, Jewish Federation, etc.” The university said in their July 31 announcement that the story “included intimidating language aimed at Jewish community members and organizations that support Israel. UWM strongly denounced the post, and any form of antisemitism. A subsequent Instagram post by the coalition reaffirmed their original message.” As such, the university is temporarily suspending “five student organizations associated with a coalition that posted alarming messages on Instagram” and is investigating the matter.

Report Highlights Anti-Israel Radicalism in Teachers Unions

The Jewish Institute for Liberal Values (JILV) released a report detailing anti-Israel radicalism within teachers unions.

According to Jewish Insider (JI), the reported noted that the two largest teachers unions in America passed anti-Israel resolutions at their respective conferences. One resolution denounces “the weaponization of accusations of antisemitism in campaigns to censor dissenting views of the war” and another resolution called the Israeli government’s methods in the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip “unjust,” though it did call the “initial cause” for the war just. 

The report also highlighted “the anti-Israel network in teachers unions” in which various “far-left groups” have provided them with resources to use in classrooms.

CUNY Profs Request SCOTUS Take Up Lawsuit Against NY Law Forcing Them to Be Members of Anti-Israel Union

Six professors at the City University of New York (CUNY) are asking the Supreme Court to take up their appeal against a state law requiring them to be members of their union.

The six professors, all but one of whom are Jewish, resigned from the Professional Staff Congress (PSC) union after it had passed a resolution in 2021 denouncing “the continued subjection of Palestinians to the state-supported displacement, occupation, and use of lethal force by Israel.” But under the “Taylor Law” in New York, each of these professors are required to continue paying membership dues to the union regardless. According to The Algemeiner, a state judge ruled against the professors, concluding that past precedent shows that such a law is constitutional. 

The National Right to Work and the Fairness Center, which filed the appeal on behalf of the professors, argued in their July 21 petition: “Can the government force Jewish professors to accept the representation of an advocacy group they rightly consider to be antisemitic? The answer plainly should be ‘no.’ The First Amendment protects the rights of individuals, and especially religious dissenters, to disaffiliate themselves from associations and speech they abhor.”