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‘You Will Be Held Accountable’: US Congress Questions University Presidents Over Pro-Hamas Encampments
Northwestern University president Michael Schill looks on during a US House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing on anti-Israel protests on college campuses, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, May 23, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades
US lawmakers on Thursday interrogated the presidents of Northwestern University, Rutgers University, and the University of California, Los Angeles during a three-hour hearing about their responses to pro-Hamas “encampments” which convulsed their campuses at the end of the school year.
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce organized the hearing — titled “Calling for Accountability: Stopping Antisemitic College Chaos” — after an eruption of anti-Zionist protests on college campuses in which students illegally occupied sections of school property and refused to leave unless their schools agreed to condemn and boycott Israel.
Northwestern University president Michael Schill faced the brunt of the committee’s questions, sparring with them over the meaning of antisemitism, his settlement with the organizers of the pro-Hamas encampment, and what constitutes discipline.
“I’m not going to engage in hypotheticals,” Schill told Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT) when asked if he would have negotiated with Ku Klux Klan members who had threatened and uttered hate speech about Black students.
“It’s striking that you decided to negotiate a sweetheart deal with pro-Hamas students and professors who denied Oct. 7, either denied it, celebrated, or simply don’t care. I look at that as pure evil,” Burgess said in response.
They continued to exchange remarks, with Burgess inquiring into large donations that Northwestern University has received from Qatar, which, Burgess noted, harbors Hamas members. Schill insisted that Hamas’ relationship with Qatar isn’t his “area of expertise,” which prompted Burgess to suggest that he must find it acceptable.
“I really — I’m offended by you telling me what my views are,” Schill retorted, raising his voice.
Schill has been criticized for agreeing — in exchange for the group Students for Justice in Palestine’s (SJP) ending its encampment — to establish a scholarship for Palestinian undergraduates, contact potential employers of students who caused recent campus disruptions to insist on their being hired, and create a segregated dormitory hall that will be occupied exclusively by Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) and Muslim students. He also agreed to form a new advisory committee in which anti-Zionists students and faculty may wield an outsized voice.
He denied during Thursday’s hearing that he acceded to any of SJP’s demands, including their insistence on divesting from and boycotting Israel.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) said that he did, calling his agreement with SJP — which was called the “Deering Meadow Agreement” throughout the hearing — a “unilateral capitulation. She also accused him of failing to protect Jewish students from the violence of the anti-Zionist protesters, incidents that Schill described as “allegations.”
“Let’s talk about what has occurred on this encampment,” Stefanik said. “Isn’t it true that a Jewish Northwestern student was assaulted?”
“There are allegations that a Jewish student was assaulted. We are investigating those allegations,” Schill said.
Stefanik recounted several more incidents of alleged antisemitic violence — including one in which a Jewish student was spit on — and harassment, pressing Schill to estimate when the school will complete its investigations. She then excoriated the deal Schill negotiated with SJP, volleying a series of remarks which included her accusing him of pressuring Northwestern Hillel to hire an anti-Zionist Jew as its director.
Schill denied the allegation.
Rutgers University president Jonathan Holloway appeared to defend the organizers of the encampment on his campus during his testimony, comparing them to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who he said was unpopular in his time. At one point, Holloway refused to answer whether he believes Israel is a “genocidal” country, agreeing only to say that Israel has a right to defend itself. Later, he stated that he does not believe that Israel is genocidal.
About two hours into the hearing, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) questioned University of California, Los Angeles chancellor Gene Block about his handling of the school’s encampment, an opportunity she used to portray anti-Zionist activists as victims. Omar called the pro-Hamas group which amassed there “peaceful,” accusing Jewish students of releasing rats into their encampment and calling footage of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks that pro-Israel activists played near the encampment as a counter-protest “vile and disturbing.”
“You should be ashamed at the fact that you failed your students,” Omar told Block, commenting on a melee that broke out between pro-Hamas and pro-Israel activists during the encampment. “You should be ashamed for letting a peaceful protest gathering get hijacked by an angry mob. You should be ashamed for allowing such violence to take place on your campus, which will now be weaponized by Republicans on this committee. You played right into the hands in laying the ground for attacking institutions of public education, stripping students of their rights, and broader repression of movements.”
Omar also denied that pro-Hamas protesters erected checkpoints around the campus where they refused to let Jewish students cross. Video evidence of that happening was played at the hearing, however.
“Students cannot learn when they feel threatened, and it’s part of our responsibility, I think, to see that students who feel threatened are relieved of that fear,” Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) said in concluding the hearing. “Today’s testimony certainly brought bad things to light, beyond the craven deals and shocking inaction we already knew about.”
Foxx went on to accuse Schill of “condescension” and noted that Holloway’s faculty at Rutgers have praised and celebrated Hamas’ violence.
“Today’s hearing is the beginning, not the end, of the committees investigation of your institutions,” she said. “You will be held accountable for your records. Congress will not stand by while you violate your obligations to uphold Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, fail to protect Jewish students, cut deals advancing divestment, and promote terrorism and radical antisemitic ideologies.”
On Thursday, the executive director of the Academic Engagement Network — which promotes diversity viewpoints and academic freedom — told The Algemeiner during an interview that Holloway’s handling of antisemitism at Rutgers, particularly the antisemitism of the faculty at the Center for Security, Race, and Rights (CSSR) at its Newark campus, should continue to be scrutinized during the course of the committee’s investigation.
“Holloway admitted at one point that anti-Israel political advocacy is not an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars, yet the CSSR at the Newark campus that he funds through the chancellor’s office is absolutely doing that,” Miriam Elman said. “CSSR is an anti-Israel advocacy academic unit in which Jewish students do not feel welcome, and even after he admitted that its conduct is inappropriate, he would not commit to shutting it down, which is a contradiction that needs to be called out.”
Elman added that a faculty group of AEN members formed the Jewish Faculty, Administrators, and Staff (JFAS) group over ten years ago to raise awareness of their concerns about antisemitism at Rutgers and were ignored.
“They have been repeatedly asking for more attention to antisemitism and more viewpoint diversity on Israel, particularly at Newark, and getting nowhere,” she continued. “I couldn’t even believe that a committee member [Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA)] actually mentioned them in their testimony, because they, like the committee, believe that there should have been no negotiations with or acceding to the demands of the protesters. Not only did doing so reward bad behavior, it allowed a radical few to determine these outcomes over the voices of everybody else.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
The post ‘You Will Be Held Accountable’: US Congress Questions University Presidents Over Pro-Hamas Encampments first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Surge of Antisemitic Incidents Rocks France Amid Growing Security Concerns
The Paris Holocaust Memorial, three synagogues, and a Jewish restaurant were all vandalized with green paint last weekend. Photo: Screenshot
France has been hit by a wave of antisemitic incidents in recent days, despite increased security at Jewish sites nationwide following last month’s antisemitic shooting in Washington, DC — prompting urgent calls from the country’s Jewish community for stronger government action amid growing fears of escalating violence.
On Friday, a French rabbi was violently assaulted by three drunken individuals in the town of Deauville, located in the Normandy region of northwestern France.
According to local police, Rabbi Eli Lemel — a prominent figure in French Jewry — was attacked around 3:30 pm by three men who approached him, repeatedly punched him in the stomach, and shouted antisemitic slurs.
French authorities have launched an investigation into the assault, but no arrests have been made so far.
After the incident, Lemel called on the Jewish community to draw spiritual strength amid the increasing hostility that Jews are facing across France.
“I’m deeply moved by the outpouring of support following the attack. Thank God, I’m okay,” the Jewish leader wrote in a post on X. “I was struck and verbally abused in a language I didn’t understand.”
In a separate incident, a 21-year-old man was arrested on Saturday after climbing a synagogue in the town of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine in north-central France, removing an Israeli flag from its façade, and attempting to set it on fire.
According to local media, the suspect — who was already known to authorities for prior offenses — confessed to committing the attack and admitted to being intoxicated at the time.
French police confirmed that the man is being charged with trespassing in a place of worship, theft by climbing, and causing damage to property on religious grounds.
The local Jewish community has voiced deep concern following this incident, viewing it as part of a broader surge in hostility targeting Jewish institutions across France.
Sandrine Dos Santos, the city’s mayor, expressed “[her] solidarity, as well as that of the city, toward the Jewish community directly targeted by these unacceptable antisemitic acts.”
“Faced with the increase in violence, our commitment against discrimination remains unwavering and will not waver. We repeat it loud and clear: no form of racism or rejection of others has a place in Poissy,” the French leader said.
In a separate incident on Saturday, three Serbs were arrested near Antibes in southeastern France, suspected of painting several Jewish community buildings green in Paris — an act currently under investigation as possible foreign interference.
Last weekend, the Paris Holocaust Memorial, three synagogues, and a Jewish restaurant were all vandalized with green paint in an incident denounced by the French government.
On Monday, an elementary school in Lyon, east-central France, was set on fire and defaced with antisemitic and pro-Palestinian slogans, as well as swastikas, marking one of the latest antisemitic incidents to impact France in recent days.
As the school had no direct connections to the Jewish community, local police have launched an investigation to determine the motive behind the attack.
French authorities reported that the fire was limited to the outdoor bathrooms, causing no significant damage to the school. They also found antisemitic graffiti and swastikas in three classrooms.
Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF), denounced the attack, saying that “the Palestinian cause is used as justification for burning down a school” and that the “Nazification of Israel serves as fuel for crass antisemitism.”
“When a populist pro-Palestinian narrative is allowed to take hold, it is French Jews who ultimately pay the price,” Arfi wrote in a post on X. “The twisted use of the Palestinian cause is turning into a rallying cry of hatred against both Jews and the Republic itself.”
Voilà où nous en sommes !
La cause palestinienne sert de justification pour incendier une école
Quand on laisse gagner un discours populiste propalestinien, ce sont les Français juifs qui en paient le prix.… https://t.co/dMaQBnbfqi
— Yonathan Arfi (@Yonathan_Arfi) June 1, 2025
Beyond France, other European countries have also experienced a surge in antisemitic incidents in recent weeks.
On Monday, several headstones were vandalized at a Jewish cemetery in a suburb of Belgrade, located in north-central Serbia, marking the second such incident in the country in recent weeks.
The post Surge of Antisemitic Incidents Rocks France Amid Growing Security Concerns first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US Vetoes UN Security Council Demand for Gaza Ceasefire
Smoke rises from Gaza after an explosion, as seen from Israel, June 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
The United States vetoed a UN Security Council demand on Wednesday for an “immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire” between Israel and Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza and unhindered aid access across the enclave.
“The United States has been clear we would not support any measure that fails to condemn Hamas and does not call for Hamas to disarm and leave Gaza,” Acting US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea told the council before the vote.
“This resolution would undermine diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire that reflects the realities on the ground, and embolden Hamas,” she said of the text that was put forward by 10 countries on the 15-member council.
The remaining 14 council members voted in favor of the draft resolution.
Israel has rejected calls for an unconditional or permanent ceasefire, saying Hamas cannot stay in Gaza. It has renewed its military offensive in Gaza – also seeking to free hostages held by Hamas – since ending a two-month ceasefire in March.
The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 people in Israel in an Oct. 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave.
The post US Vetoes UN Security Council Demand for Gaza Ceasefire first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Trump Picks Lawyer Who Called Oct. 7 Attack a ‘Psyop’ to Lead Federal Watchdog Agency
Paul Ingrassia. Photo: Screenshot
Paul Ingrassia, a 29-year-old lawyer who was recently nominated by US President Donald Trump to lead a federal agency dedicated to combating corruption and protecting whistleblowers, seemingly dismissed the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2o23, invasion of and massacre across southern Israel as a “psyop,” or “psychological operation, in resurfaced social media posts.
“This ‘war’ is yet another psyop to distract Americans from celebrating Columbus Day,” Ingrassia wrote on X/Twitter on Oct. 8, 2023.
“I think we could all admit at this stage that Israel/Palestine, much like Ukraine before it, and BLM before that, and covid/vaccine before that, was another psyop,” he posted a week later. “But sadly, people fell for it. And they’ll fall for the next one too.”
On the actual day of the Oct. 7 massacre, Ingrassia compared illegal immigration into the US to the Hamas-led onslaught.
“The amount of energy everyone has put into condemning Hamas (and prior to that, the Ukraine conflict) over the past 24 hours should be the same amount of energy we put into condemning our wide open border, which is a war comparable to the attack on Israel in terms of bloodshed — but made worse by the fact that it’s occurring in our very own backyard,” he posted. “We shouldn’t be beating the war drum, however tragic the events may be overseas, until we resolve our domestic problems first.”
Trump announced last week that he picked Ingrassia to serve as head of the US Office of Special Counsel, a position that requires confirmation by the Senate.
The Office of Special Counsel is an independent federal ethics agency that works to ensure fairness and accountability within the government. Ingrassia’s role, if he is confirmed, would involve investigating claims of wrongdoing, such as retaliation against whistleblowers or improper political activity in the workplace. The official can recommend disciplinary action and reports serious findings to Congress, helping to protect federal employees and uphold the integrity of the civil service system.
Ingrassia also maintains a relationship with and defends alleged sex trafficker Andrew Tate, who has promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories on social media. Tate wrote on X/Twitter that he refuses to “listen to women, Mexicans, or Jews” and that Jewish people are “subverting Western populations into mass genetic suicide” by advancing what he described as misguided immigration policy. Tate has also accused Israel of committing a “genocide” in Gaza against Palestinians and engaged in Holocaust denialism.
The furor surrounding Ingrassia is the latest dustup the Trump administration has had regarding controversial personnel and antisemitism.
The Trump administration’s appointment of Kingsley Wilson as deputy press secretary at the Department of Defense also sparked widespread criticism due to her history of promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories and extremist views. Wilson, formerly associated with the Center for Renewing America, has a documented history of social media posts endorsing white supremacist ideologies, including claims about the 1915 lynching of Leo Frank — a Jewish man whose wrongful conviction and subsequent murder galvanized the founding of the Anti-Defamation League. In 2023, she tweeted that Frank “raped & murdered a 13-year-old girl,” a statement aligning with neo-Nazi narratives.
Late last month, the Pentagon announced that Wilson will be promoted and serve as the department’s new press secretary.
The post Trump Picks Lawyer Who Called Oct. 7 Attack a ‘Psyop’ to Lead Federal Watchdog Agency first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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