Hinson in The Washington Times: Pull federal funding from universities that won’t protect Jewish students

The rampant antisemitism on college campuses is abhorrent.

Hateful rioters have set up illegal encampments, called for the genocide of Jewish people, blocked Jewish students from going to class, held workers hostage, and destroyed private property. The incompetent response from many university leaders and inaction from the Biden administration is unconscionable. As pro-terrorist mobs continue to incite violence at colleges nationwide, we must recommit to ending antisemitism and holding universities accountable if they fail to protect Jewish students.

Shamefully, spineless university leaders have allowed antisemitic agitators to overtake their campuses rather than enforcing school policies and ensuring students’ safety. Some have even canceled graduation ceremonies rather than shut down illegal riots. Ask yourself this: If violent mobs targeted any other group on campus, would university leadership uphold school protocol to protect those students?

Why are university leaders OK with calls for the genocide of Jewish students? The antisemitic rhetoric espoused by some on the far left — who have long had an outsized influence in academia — has come to roost. Apparently, all those diversity, equity and inclusion classes aren’t working. These riots are a new low for so-called prestigious universities, and we must act.

In December 2019, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to combat antisemitism on college campuses. Just a week ago, the House passed overwhelmingly bipartisan legislation to build on this effort and require the Department of Education to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.

While this will help address antisemitism on campus, universities must face consequences if they do not protect Jewish students. That’s why House Speaker Mike Johnson has launched a full investigation of the considerable federal funding and generous tax benefits provided to these universities. If universities don’t feel morally compelled to protect Jewish students from intimidation and discrimination, perhaps a monetary incentive will force them to do the right thing.

In addition, foreign nationals who threaten Jewish students, break school policy and laws, and support foreign terrorist organizations should be deported immediately. Studying in the U.S. is a privilege, not a right. If the Biden administration were serious about protecting Jewish students and quelling antisemitism, they would use their authority to deport foreign student visa holders who are endangering Jewish students and endorsing terrorism. Hamas sympathizers who chant “Death to America” and threaten their peers should be put on the first plane out and never allowed back into our country.

While once-elite institutions have descended into hotbeds of hatred, I will continue to stand firmly alongside the Jewish community, ensure universities are held accountable, and work tirelessly to defeat antisemitism. Never again is right now.