Capital District Times

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a senior member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, recently questioned Jewish professors from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and Mt. San Antonio College regarding university leadership's response to antisemitism on their campuses.

In her questioning, Congresswoman Stefanik addressed Professor Dafna Golden from Mt. San Antonio College about the administration's handling of antisemitic incidents. "The administration has chosen the path of least resistance doing the bare minimum to appear to take antisemitism seriously," Professor Golden stated. She noted that the college refused to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism and described their overall response as "mostly lip service."

Stefanik also queried UCSD Professor Brian Keating about an antisemitic encampment on campus that lasted five days before being dispersed by police, resulting in 64 arrests, including 40 students. Professor Keating detailed how protesters exercised their First Amendment rights but noted that this particular encampment was different due to its hostility towards Jews and Americans. He highlighted incidents involving weapons and discriminatory practices against individuals identifying as Jewish.

Keating further discussed policy changes to address rising antisemitism on campuses, suggesting measures such as banning masks at protests for better identification of individuals involved in hostile activities. He also criticized faculty members who encourage anti-Israel sentiments while working at institutions they accuse of complicity in genocide.

Congresswoman Stefanik concluded by thanking both professors for their testimonies and efforts in standing up for Jewish students and faculty.

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