A prime Republican needs to ban Harvard and different universities permitting ’antisemitism’ to go unchecked on their campuses from amassing giant sums of taxpayer cash.
Harvard and different elite colleges have confronted scrutiny over rising antisemitic occasions unfolding on their campuses and their lackluster response to the incidents within the wake of Hamas’ bloody onslaught on Israelis and their subsequent counter-response.
Home GOP convention chair Elise Stefanik, a Harvard graduate herself, is now calling for tightening the taxpayer valve on her alma mater and different greater instructional establishments and mentioned Home Republicans intend to carry them accountable.
Home Republican Convention Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik needs to ban universities enabling ‘antisemitism’ from amassing taxpayer cash. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photos)
”It’s abhorrent that Harvard and universities throughout America are enabling horrific antisemitism to run rampant on their campuses,” Stefanik informed Fox Information Digital. ”U.S. taxpayer {dollars} must be prohibited from funding any establishment that promotes antisemitism or anti-Israel bigotry, and Home Republicans will maintain these extremist establishments accountable for failing their college students.”
Fox Information Digital reported final week that Harvard, which has been beneath a microscope following the antisemitic occasions on its campus, has acquired billions of {dollars} in federal funds in recent times.
Between 2018 and 2022, Harvard amassed $3.13 billion in complete federal funds, together with federal grants and contracts, in line with an evaluation performed by OpenTheBooks and supplied to Fox Information Digital.
Harvard additionally acquired beneficiant tax breaks on its endowment. Throughout those self same years, the varsity’s endowment totaled $50.9 billion, and it acquired $2.17 billion in particular federal tax therapy.
”Are these rich universities working within the public curiosity or their very own particular curiosity? Since these colleges are instructional charities beneath IRS code 501(c)3, Congress ought to maintain hearings,” OpenTheBooks founder Adam Andrzejewski mentioned of the taxpayer cash.
”Who knew that you just had been subsidizing the rich Ivy League? They do not want taxpayer assist,” Andrzejewski mentioned.
Harvard has skilled growing antisemitic occasions on its campus. (Getty Photos/iStock)
Stefanik has been outspoken in opposition to her alma mater since greater than two dozen pupil teams on the college castigated Israel and supported Palestinians in Gaza shortly after Hamas’ assault on Israeli civilians.
The Harvard pupil organizations’ assertion, launched on the day of the Hamas assaults, mentioned the occasions didn’t happen ”in a vacuum.” The teams who signed the letter included the Harvard Islamic Society, the Harvard Jews for Liberation, the Society of Arab College students and the Harvard Divinity Faculty Muslim Affiliation.
”We, the undersigned pupil organizations, maintain the Israeli regime fully liable for all unfolding violence,” the message mentioned.
”For the final twenty years, thousands and thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have been compelled to dwell in an open-air jail,” the assertion mentioned. ”Israeli officers promise to ’open the gates of hell,’ and the massacres in Gaza have already commenced. Palestinians in Gaza don’t have any shelters for refuge and nowhere to flee. Within the coming days, Palestinians will likely be compelled to bear the total brunt of Israel’s violence.”
The assertion additionally attacked Israel’s ”apartheid regime” that they are saying compelled Palestinians into ”colonial retaliation.”
Shortly after the letter made rounds on social media, Stefanik took to X and known as it ”heinous” that Harvard pupil teams blamed Israel for ”Hamas’ barbaric terrorist assaults.”
”Any voice that excuses the slaughter of harmless girls and kids has chosen the facet of evil and terrorism,” Stefanik mentioned.
A number of angles of pro-Palestinian protests at Harvard Enterprise Faculty on Wednesday, Oct. 18. (Fox Information)
Jewish college students on the college have additionally reportedly confronted ”anti-Israel and antisemitic bias” from Harvard professor Marshall Ganz, the Boston Herald reported.
These occasions and others prompted a few of the college’s influential donors to finish their relationships with the varsity. As a result of growing incidents, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan withdrew his provide to take part in Harvard’s fellowship applications.
In the meantime, college students are planning to sue Harvard, amongst different universities, for not doing sufficient to handle the ”explosion” of antisemitic incidents on campus, Enterprise Insider reported.
”We will present that the colleges had discover of acts of hatred and bigotry in direction of Jewish college students, that there was pervasive anti-Jewish bigotry on campus and that directors and college bureaucrats acted with deliberate indifference, which is the authorized time period, with respect to campus antisemitism,” lawyer Mark Ressler informed the publication.
”Issues are uncontrolled on campus,” he mentioned.
Harvard didn’t instantly reply to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark.