Experts Testify on Rampant Campus Union Antisemitism Before US Congress

Antisemitism on college campuses remains a significant concern, as highlighted by testimonies before the US Congress and recent reports of union activities that marginalize Jewish students, such as at MIT, Stanford, and Cornell University, where religious accommodations have been denied and political activism against Israel has been promoted by union officials. Universities face pressure from the Trump administration, which has threatened to withhold research funding unless institutions adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, a definition criticized for conflating legitimate criticism of Israeli policies with antisemitism and limiting academic freedom. In Massachusetts, a special commission's recommendations to adopt the IHRA definition in K-12 education have sparked opposition from educators who fear it will chill free expression and critical discourse about Israel and Palestine. Meanwhile, the National Association of Scholars is organizing discussions on how diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives may inadvertently foster anti-Semitic violence on campuses through divisive narratives. Though the Trump administration has pursued settlements with universities like Columbia to combat campus antisemitism, critics argue these agreements focus more on financial penalties than substantive reforms to address antisemitism comprehensively. Together, these developments reveal ongoing tensions between combating antisemitism, protecting free speech, and managing political conflicts surrounding Israel and Palestine in American higher education.