College students hold dueling demonstrations amid Israel’s war with Hamas in April 2024. Photo: Vincent Ricci via Reuters Connect.

Most American adults, including college students, support the Trump administration’s cancellation of federal funding to universities which fail to address the campus antisemitism crisis, a new poll commissioned by the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) and conducted by Schoen Cooperman Research has found.

A striking 66 percent of US adults expressed “total support” for cutting federal grants and contracts to higher education institutions that “do not do enough to protect Jewish students or address antisemitism.” Only 34 percent said they “oppose it.”

A strong, but less overwhelming, majority of college students, 56 percent, said they approve of the cuts, compared to 44 percent who oppose them.

Meanwhile, a majority of US adults, 54 percent, indicated support for the Trump administration’s efforts to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student who led raucous anti-Israel campus protests and, according to the federal government, expressed support for the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. Only 25 percent said they oppose his deportation.

College students are more conflicted about the Trump administration’s attempt to deport Khalil, who was an architect of the Hamilton Hall building takeover during the 2023-2024 academic year and organizer of several demonstrations which caused lockdowns at Barnard College this academic year. Forty percent of those surveyed, a plurality, approve of removing him from the US while 37 percent disapprove.

“The American public has sent a clear message: universities must be held accountable for failing to protect Jewish students from discrimination and harassment,” ICC chief executive officer Jacob Baime said in a statement. “Amid a rising crisis of antisemitism, too many academic institutions have neglected their duty.”

He continued, “With 66 percent of US adults and 56 percent of college students supporting the withdrawal of federal funding from schools that tolerate such failures, these findings signal that administrators must act decisively to ensure a safe, inclusive environment for Jewish students.”

The survey was conducted over three days in March, with 1,000 US adults and 450 college students participating.

The survey results come amid US President Donald Trump’s following through on his threat to inflict severe financial injuries on colleges and universities it deems soft on antisemitism or excessively “woke.”

In March, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced the cancellation of $400 million in federal contracts and grants for Columbia University, a measure that secured the school’s acceding to a slew of demands the administration put forth as preconditions for restoring the money.

Later, the Trump administration disclosed its reviewing $9 billion worth of federal grants and contracts awarded to Harvard University, jeopardizing a substantial source of the school’s income over its alleged failure to quell antisemitic and pro-Hamas activity on campus following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel.

Princeton University saw $210 million of its federal grants and funding suspended too, prompting its president, Christopher Eisgruber, to say the institution is “committed to fighting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination.”

Additionally, 60 universities are being investigated by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights over their handling of campus antisemitism, a project that will serve as an early test of the administration’s ability to perform the essential functions of the agency after downsizing its workforce to increase its efficiency.

Trump’s deportation policy has, as indicated by the ICC’s survey results, proved to more controversial and, unlike his cancelling of taxpayer funds, difficult to implement. Khalil’s deportation is being delayed by the courts, and several other foreign anti-Israel activists selected for deportation have retained counsel who are so far staving off US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) efforts to repatriate them to their countries of origin.

Alex Joffe, anthropologist and editor of BDS Monitor for Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, told The Algemeiner in March that the administration’s actions are legal and safeguard US interests.

“The Trump administration’s new policy of deporting pro-Hamas demonstrators who are not citizens is an important step toward addressing problems related to Hamas in America,” he explained in a statement. “The Immigration and Naturalization Act clearly gives the Secretary of State the authority to deport aliens on a variety of grounds, including endangering public safety and national security.”

Joffe added that the expatriates selected for deportation violated the conditions of their residency in the US by “giving material support to a designated terrorist group (be it Hamas, Hezbollah, or the Houthis)” and “organizing demonstrations, which have included violence and the destruction of property.” In arguing his position, he pointed to the case of Brown University physician Rasha Alawieh, whom the federal government deported to Lebanon after learning that she had attended the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, who was the leader of the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.

“Overall, however, due to the Trump administration’s haphazard messaging, the evidence showing the threats to public safety and national security has been overshadowed by allegations that the deportation policy is an effort to quash free speech and chill public discourse. The terrorist connections and revolutionary motivations of groups such as Columbia University Apartheid Divest and Within Our Lifetime have similarly been ignored by most media. So, too, has the role of their various funders and amplifiers, including left-wing American foundations [and] the Chinese Communist Party” Joffe continued. “The administration’s communications skills need to improve significantly on these issues to provide more detailed information on bad actors, their motivations and backers, and not simply superficialities that stir outrage.”

Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.

The post Trump Admin’s Crackdown on Universities Over Campus Antisemitism Supported by Most Americans, Poll Shows first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld of Washington, DC. Photo: Screenshot

Anti-Israel activists who falsely accused a Washington, DC rabbi of stalking were directed to pay his $182,000 of legal bills, according to a recent ruling by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld — who is the former rabbi at Ohev Shalom synagogue and current Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Elimelech in Washington, DC — was falsely accused of stalking two anti-Israel activists in mid-2024 after he prayed outside the Israeli embassy for the hostages taken by Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023. The activists were seeking a restraining order against Herzfeld.

Atefeh Rochvand and Hazami Barmada staged a months-long protest outside of the embassy, and Herzfeld arrived at the facility three times during their protest. One time was to pray for the hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, and two other times were to observe the protests and make comments toward those conducting them.

While Herzfeld was there to pray, an anti-Israel group harassed him — crowding near him, waving flags in his face, and blaring sirens, according to video circulated on social media. They also called him a Nazi.

DC rabbi harassed by pro-Palestinian protesters while praying for hostages wins $182K
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Judge orders pro-Palestinian activists to pay damages to Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld after falsely accusing him of harassment during his prayer vigil for Israeli hostages outside the embassy in… pic.twitter.com/bcdsUn2Daf

— Ynetnews (@ynetnews) April 7, 2025

“It was the loudest outdoor scene I’ve ever seen in my life, it was ear-splitting, it was deafening,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “I never saw anything like that in DC.”

The petitioners never alleged that Herzfeld tried to contact or interacted with them on any other occasions. According to the ruling, they even referred to his presence as “hilarious” while he was there.

Videos submitted to the court contradicted the stalking claims that Rochvand and Barmada made against Herzfeld.

“There is no evidence that Respondent [Herzfeld] ever threatened the Petitioners [Rochvand and Barmada],” the ruling read. “There is no evidence that he ever followed, monitored or placed them under surveillance. The only times he ever saw them was at the location of the protests on three occasions (only two with regard to Ms. Rokhvand).”

It continued, “The evidence suggests that his presence on those occasions was not an attempt to locate Petitioners or any other particular individuals; he was going to the embassy to pray, observe the protests and at times (March 21 and May 2) make his own comments regarding the protests.”

Nevertheless, Rochvand and Barmada wrote in a comment to The Daily Wire that they “were shocked by the tone and findings outlined in the subsequent order granting outrageous legal fees. Albeit ultimately deemed ‘protected speech,’ the evidence at trial showed Rabbi Herzfeld and his cohorts, on multiple occasions, came inappropriately close to females and made offensive and vile remarks to intimidate them.”

One of these comments, they said, was when Herzfeld asked them, “Why do you support the raping of innocent women?” — likely referring to the gender-based sexual violence that took place during Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack across southern Israel.

The judge commented, “The Petitioners may very well have been offended by what the Respondent said on May 2, just as the Respondent was likely offended when Petitioner Barmada called him a Nazi and a supporter of terrorizing children on March 21, 2024.” He concluded, “These comments, while offensive, are constitutionally protected.”

Due to the false nature of the anti-Israel activists’ claims, the court ruled they had to pay Herzfeld’s legal fees, which were $182,000.

In the interview with Fox News Digital, Herzfeld spoke about his experience during the ordeal.

“It was Shabbos, my parents were over, and my children were there, and I come home from prayers. And my wife was, you know, horrified that police had – she said police came to our door and they left and they – and they gave me, you know, this temporary restraining order,” Herzfeld said.

Fox reported that Herzfeld “said it was highly stressful and was extremely embarrassed at the thought that his neighbors, who saw police arrive at his door, could have thought there was merit to the case.”

It went on to explain how he dealt with the stress of the trial. “I was reciting Psalm 121 to myself, ‘I lift up my eyes to the mountains from where will come my help,’” he said.

“I was reciting Psalm 132 [sic] to myself from the depths to – you know, to God as a prayer – ‘From the depths I call out to you, Please, God, answer me.’”

The post Anti-Israel Activists Who Falsely Accused Washington, DC Rabbi of Stalking Forced to Pay $182K of Legal Bills first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Patricia Heaton attends Lionsgate’s ‘The Unbreakable Boy’ New York Premiere at the AMC Lincoln Square Theater, New York, NY, February 19, 2025. Photo: Anthony Behar/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect

Emmy-winning actress Patricia Heaton has become the 100,000th person to join the global initiative Jewish Future Promise (JFP) in which individuals take an oath to safeguard the future of Jewish values, traditions, and the State of Israel.

JFP announced on Tuesday that the former “Everyone Loves Raymond” star, who is not Jewish, has helped the initiative reach a historic milestone of gathering 100,000 “promisers,” and $4.65 billion in commitments.

JFP is a moral commitment, not legally binding in any way, in which individuals promise to share Jewish stories, values, and traditions with family and friends. As part of the global commitment, pledgers also promise that if any charitable contributions are made upon their death, at least 50 percent will be allocated to Jewish causes and/or the State of Israel.

Others who have already made The Promise include Israeli actress and activist Noa Tishby, author and civil rights lawyer Alan Dershowitz, comedian Modi Rosenfeld, and social media influencer and activist Lizzy Savetsky. JFP also inspires young adults to support Jewish causes through the Jewish Youth Promise, which is catered for 13- to 24-year-olds.

“As a Christian, my spiritual heritage exists in the Jewish people. The bond Jews and Christians share is deep and profound,” said Heaton, the former star of ‘The Middle.”

“Along with that, our shared Judeo-Christian values are the foundation for the free and thriving democracies we see in Israel, America, and around the world,” Heaton added. “The Jewish future is everyone’s future!”

In the aftermath of the Hamas-led massacre in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Heaton founded the October 7th Coalition (O7C), which is a network of Christians who stand up against the rise of antisemitism in the US and recognize Israel’s right to exist. “We are here to unite, promote, and encourage meaningful public and private action in the Christian community to strengthen relationships with our Jewish friends and neighbors,” reads a description on the coalition’s website.

Last year, O7C partnered with the nonprofit organization, JewBelong, to launch a nationwide billboard campaign to raise awareness about antisemitism in the US. Heaton has previously said that it should be a “natural” reaction among all humans to reject antisemitism and support the Jewish people.

The funds promised by individuals through JFP will support a variety of Jewish causes, including educational initiatives, community development, social services, and cultural preservation, both in and out of Israel. JFP founder Mike Leven said reaching the milestone of 100,000 people who have taken the pledge is “a profound reflection of our collective commitment to the future of Jewish life.”

“Each of the 100,000 promises made is a promise to sustain our heritage and nurture the values that have defined our community for generations,” Leven added. “Reaching 250,000, 500,000, and even 1 million promises is not just an aspiration; it’s necessary to ensure that Jewish causes continue to thrive and that the State of Israel remains strong. This is more than just a number; it is a living legacy that will continue to sustain and nurture Jewish life and values for years to come.”

The post Actress Patricia Heaton Becomes 100,000th Signer of Pledge to Support Jewish Causes, Israel’s Future first appeared on Algemeiner.com.