Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Year : 2, Issue: 23/strong>
Anadolu Agency: The US Education Department has launched probes into five universities for alleged antisemitism.
In a statement on Monday, the department said that following US President Donald Trump’s executive order on combating antisemitism, it has launched investigations into five universities “where widespread antisemitic harassment has been reported.”
These actions come in response “to the explosion of antisemitism” on US campuses after the Oct. 7, 2023 start of Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
The institutions being investigated include Columbia University, Northwestern University, Portland State University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, all of which saw Pro-Palestine demonstrations.
“Too many universities have tolerated widespread antisemitic harassment and the illegal encampments that paralyzed campus life last year,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said, according to the statement, adding that the universities allegedly made “astounding concessions” to camps set up on the campuses in solidarity with Gaza.
In late January, Trump signed a presidential order, “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism,” that opened the door to the deportation of students participating in demonstrations in support of Palestine.