WASHINGTON – Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee Chairman Burgess Owens (UT-04) and Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) and issued the following statement after antisemitic groups released statements supporting Hamas and announced a Day of Resistance targeting Israel:
“In the strongest possible terms, we condemn the numerous statements issued by student groups at universities across the nation in support of the savage terrorist group Hamas’ atrocities and attributing responsibility for the murder, rape, and mutilation of its own citizens to Israel. Further, we denounce their participation in a so-called ‘Day of Resistance’ celebrating Hamas and targeting Israel and Jews’ right to exist. Israel has an absolute right to defend itself and its people.
“While it is the right of all Americans—including students—to speak, it is also the right and duty of all leaders to speak loudly in response to evil rearing its head. Too many colleges require lock-step discipleship behind woke policies and politics. Sadly, the university system has been captured by anti-American and illiberal ideology that is developing and feeding a hatred of Jews.
“Israel is in no way to blame. Hamas is in no way justified. As education leaders it is our responsibility to state this clearly and to ensure that all students, including Jews, benefit from a campus environment free from discrimination and violation of their civil rights. The Committee on Education and the Workforce will hold a hearing in November to investigate antisemitism on campus and the response to that antisemitism by cowardly campus leadership. Now is not the time for antisemitism to go unchallenged, and we will expose the despicable hatred expressed on university campuses as we work to defeat the forces arrayed against Israel and Jews across the world.”
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