Demonstrators take part in an “Emergency Rally: Stand With Palestinians Under Siege in Gaza,” amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, Oct. 14, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Harvard University remains under investigation over its handling of campus antisemitism, the US House Committee on Education and the Workforce wrote to school president Alan Garber on Monday, and as such must continue to comply with requests for internal communications regarding discrimination complaints filed by Jewish students.

The committee said it is especially interested in documents related to an October 2023 incident in which two anti-Zionists activists, joined by a mob, assaulted a Jewish graduate student while screaming “Shame!” at him as he struggled to free himself.

“Obtaining the documents will aid the committee in considering whether potential legislative changes, including legislation to specifically address antisemitic discrimination, are needed,” said the letter, authored by the committee’s chairman, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY). “Harvard does not appear to have disciplined — and instead has rewarded — two students who assaulted an Israeli Jewish student who was filming a ‘die-in’ protest on Oct. 18, 2023.”

It continued, “Following the attack, Harvard said that it would ‘address the incident through its student disciplinary procedures’ after law enforcement completed its investigations. However, Harvard is alleged to have obstructed the district attorney’s investigation into the attack.”

Walberg and Stefanik went on to describe the rising fortunes of the attackers, Ibrahim Bharmal, former editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review, and Elom Tettey-Tamaklo. As previously reported by The Algemeiner, Bharmal was not removed from the presidency of the Harvard Law Review, a coveted post once held by former US President Barack Obama. As of last year, he was awarded a law clerkship with the Public Defender for the District of Columbia, a government-funded agency which provides free legal counsel to “individuals … who are charged with committing serious criminal acts.”

Bharmal has also been awarded a $65,000 fellowship from Harvard Law School to work at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an Islamic group whose leaders have defended the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s atrocities against Israelis, TheEditors.com reported earlier this year.

Tettey-Tamaklo walked away from Harvard Divinity School with honors. For the Spring 2025 semester, he was voted class marshal by the Class Committee, a role which awarded conferred to him the right to lead the graduation procession through Harvard Yard alongside the institution’s most accomplished scholars and faculty.

After being charged with assault and battery, Bharmal and Tettey-Tamaklo were ordered in April by Boston Municipal Court Judge Stephen McClenon to attend “pre-trial diversion” anger management courses and perform 80 hours of community service each. The decision did not require their apologizing to the Jewish student against whom they allegedly perpetrated what local Assistant District Attorney Ursula Knight described as “hands on assault and battery,” allowing them to avoid a trial and jail time for behavior that was filmed and widely viewed online.

Walberg and Stefanik also demanded confirmation of Harvard’s decision to pause a partnership with Birzeit University in the West Bank. The Harvard-Birzeit partnership was put into abeyance following an internal investigation of Harvard’s François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights (FXB), the institution directly affiliated with Birzeit. It is not clear what ultimately caused Harvard to discontinue the arrangement, but it is a move for which prominent members of the Harvard community and federal lawmakers have clamored before, as previously reported by The Harvard Crimson.

“The committee is concerned that Harvard has not made its decision, if any, public,” they wrote. “Refusing to partner with a university that explicitly endorses a US-designated terrorist organization is entirely different than the BDS movement, which boycotts the only democracy in the Middle East because it is Jewish.”

The letter comes three weeks after a US federal judge ruled that US President Donald Trump acted unconstitutionally when he confiscated about $2.2 billion in Harvard University’s federal research grants as punishment for the institution’s alleged failing to address antisemitic harassment and discrimination on campus.

In her ruling, US District Judge Allison Burroughs, who was appointed to her position in 2014 by then-President Barack Obama, said that the Trump administration “used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically motivated assault on this country’s premier universities.”

Burroughs went on to argue that the federal government violated Harvard’s free speech rights under the US Constitution’s First Amendment and that it was the job of courts to “ensure that important research is not improperly subjected to arbitrary and procedurally infirm grant terminations.”

Burroughs’s ruling restored Harvard’s access to some of the billions of dollars in funds paid for by the American taxpayer, preventing a fiscal crisis which has already caused draconian budget cuts at other institutions facing similar financial penalties imposed by the Trump administration.

The decision also awarded Garber a major political victory, as he has in recent weeks endured growing criticism from faculty and Democratic lawmakers for entertaining a settlement with the Trump administration which would have included concessions to the conservative movement on issues ranging from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to viewpoint diversity on campus. Such a deal would risk inciting a mutiny at Harvard, where 94 percent of faculty donated to Democratic candidates in 2024.

The White House has vowed to continue fighting Harvard in court — which may include requesting emergency proceedings at the conservative-leaning US Supreme Court — accusing Burroughs of being compromised by partisanship.

“This activist Obama-appointed judge was always going to rule in Harvard’s favor, regardless of the facts,” Liz Huston, spokesperson for the White House, said in a statement following the ruling. “We will immediately move to appeal this egregious decision, and we are confident we will ultimately prevail in our efforts to hold Harvard accountable.”

In the interim, Harvard University is in no rush to strike a deal with the federal government that would conclude its investigations of antisemitism in exchange for a payment of what Trump stipulated as “nothing less” than $500 million. According to a Monday report by The Harvard Crimson, Penny Pritzker, a Harvard Corporation senior fellow — and sibling of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) — said in her first public comments on the controversy, “I have absolutely no idea how this is going to play out.” Another official, asked about the status of the talks by a Crimson reporter, flashed “a tight smile before walking away.”

Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.

Anti-Israel protesters march in Germany, March 26, 2025. Photo: Sebastian Willnow/dpa via Reuters Connect

Recent assaults in France and Germany highlight the ongoing threat of antisemitism facing Jewish communities throughout Europe.

On Saturday, a 67-year-old man wearing Orthodox Jewish clothing was physically attacked in Yerres, a suburb south of Paris.

While walking home from the mikveh, a Jewish ritual bath, the victim was brutally assaulted by an unknown man shouting antisemitic slurs, including, “Dirty Jew, I’m going to kill you.”

According to local media reports, the victim, identified as Gilles Cohen, was violently beaten as the assailant attempted to search his pockets for money and synagogue keys.

Grégoire Dulin, the local public prosecutor, confirmed the victim was released from the hospital and “has been given a 15-day total work incapacity order.”

Shortly after the attack, Cohen filed a police complaint, though authorities have yet to make any arrests.

“An investigation is underway on charges of attempted violent robbery resulting in total incapacity to work of more than eight days, committed on religious grounds, and for death threats on religious grounds,” Dulin told AFP.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the “shocking antisemitic attack,” wishing the victim a “swift and full recovery” while calling on French authorities to ensure justice and the safety of the Jewish community.

“Cohen was brutally assaulted, struck in the face several times, and called a ‘dirty Jew.’ This is an extremely serious act that reflects the alarming rise of antisemitism in France,” the statement read.

We strongly condemn the shocking antisemitic attack that took place on Saturday morning in Yerres (near Paris), where Mr. Gilles Cohen was brutally assaulted, struck in the face several times, and called a “dirty Jew”.

This is an extremely serious act that reflects the alarming… https://t.co/JacGJaV2zd

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) September 28, 2025

Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF) — the main representative body of French Jews — also condemned the attack, describing it as the latest in a string of antisemitic assaults on rabbis in Orléans, Deauville, Neuilly, and Levallois in recent months.

“How long will this repeated hatred be tolerated?” Arfi wrote in a post on X.

“No one will uproot the Jews from France. But it is high time to uproot the antisemitism that is festering in society, using a conflict [1,800 miles] away as a pretext,” he continued, referring to the war in Gaza.

Agression antisémite à Yerres après celles de rabbins à Orléans, Deauville, Neuilly, Levallois ces derniers mois… Jusqu’à quand va-t-tolérer cette haine à répétition ?

Personne ne déracinera les Juifs de France. Mais il est plus que temps de déraciner l’antisémitisme qui…

— Yonathan Arfi (@Yonathan_Arfi) September 28, 2025

Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, France has seen a sharp rise in anti-Jewish hate crimes and anti-Israel sentiment.

In an increasingly hostile climate, the local Jewish community has faced both violent assaults and attacks on schools and synagogues.

According to France’s Interior Ministry, more than 640 antisemitic incidents were recorded in the first six months of 2025 — a 27.5 prcent decrease from the same period in 2024 but a 112.5 percent increase compared with the first half of 2023.

In a separate incident in Germany, a 24-year-old Jewish man was brutally assaulted in the central city of Erfurt when another man saw he was wearing a Star of David necklace.

On Friday, the victim was physically attacked on a tram after an unknown individual spotted his necklace, attempting to drag him off, kicking him repeatedly, and threatening him before fleeing the scene.

Local police have launched an investigation and are reviewing tram footage, but no suspects have been arrested yet.

A police spokesperson told German newspaper Bild that the incident is being treated as a “politically motivated crime.”

Like several other countries, particularly in Europe, Germany has also seen a surge in antisemitic attacks targeting the local Jewish community.

According to a police report, 1,047 antisemitic crimes were recorded nationwide between January and March this year, including 27 violent assaults and 422 cases of incitement to hatred.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends an “October 7: One Year Later” commemoration to mark the anniversary of the Hamas-led attack in Israel at the Summer Stage in Central Park on October 7, 2024, in New York City. Photo: Ron Adar/ SOPA Images via Reuters Connect

In a stunning turn of events just over a month before Election Day, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Sunday that he was withdrawing from his reelection bid, reshaping the dynamics of a race that has drawn international attention while leaving many Jewish voters scrambling for an alternative candidate.

Adams — whose term in office has been marked by legal drama, declining public support, and mounting political pressure — cited fundraising challenges, media scrutiny, and weakening momentum as key reasons for his exit. Though Adams’s name will remain on the ballot since his announcement came after the deadline for printing them, his decision to drop out removes an active campaign that had drawn critical support from center-left and moderate constituencies.

With Adams suspending his candidacy, the mayoral contest is now largely a showdown between Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, a far-left democratic socialist with an extensive history of anti-Israel rhetoric, and the independent candidacy of scandal-plagued former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa is also still in the race, but recent polling and New York City’s overwhelmingly Democratic electorate indicate a likely third-place finish.

The exit of Adams compresses the field and raises the stakes for how his base, particularly moderate Democrats in combination with business-friendly and pro-Israel voters, may realign.

Mamdani, the 33‑year‑old member of the New York State Assembly, defeated Cuomo and other candidates in a lopsided first‑round win in the city’s Democratic primary for mayor, notching approximately 43.5 percent of first‑choice votes compared to Cuomo’s 36.4 percent.

Some observers believe Adams’s withdrawal could help consolidate anti-Mamdani votes behind Cuomo. However, many others suggest that Mamdani has gained too much momentum to be thwarted by last-ditch efforts before the November election.

Earlier this month, a Quinnipiac University poll showed Mamdani taking 45 percent in a four-way matchup, well ahead of Cuomo at 23 percent, Sliwa at 15 percent, and Adams at just 12 percent. If Adams were to exit the race, according to the data, Mamdani’s margin would narrow, with 46 percent support compared to Cuomo’s 30 percent. Sliwa would hold 17 percent of the electorate.

The results came days after another poll showed similar results.

In immediate reactions to Adams’s decision to drop out, Mamdani downplayed the significance to his campaign’s status. “It’s a race between us and the failed politics of the past,” he said, reiterating his calls to move beyond entrenched donor power.

Some prominent voices, such as billionaire hedge fund investor Bill Ackman, called on Sliwa to follow Adams’s lead and drop out to consolidate as much support against Mamdani as possible. However, Sliwa does not seem keen on the idea. “Curtis Sliwa is the only candidate who can defeat Mamdani,” the Republican nominee’s campaign said in a statement on Sunday.

Adams’s withdrawal also removes a figure long seen as reliably supportive of pro-Israel positions and Jewish communal priorities. During his tenure, the mayor repeatedly vowed to defend the city’s Jewish community and delivered a forceful condemnation of the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. His departure leaves advocacy groups, synagogues, and institutions reconsidering their strategies, particularly around municipal support for security, interfaith partnerships, and cultural funding.

The recent Quinnipiac poll underscored Adams’s strong standing among certain demographics, particularly Jewish voters, who make up a crucial bloc in several boroughs. Among Jewish voters, Adams received 42 percent support, while Mamdani and Cuomo were tied at 21 percent each. Moreover, 75 percent of Jewish voters view Mamdani unfavorably, according to the poll, highlighting a key vulnerability for the progressive candidate.

A Siena College poll from August similarly found that Mamdani has been remarkably unpopular with Jewish New Yorkers. According to the results, a staggering 75 percent held an unfavorable opinion of the Queens Democrat and just 15 percent viewed him favorably. His unfavorable rating among Jewish voters was more than 38 points higher than his standing with the general electorate, where 37 percent viewed him negatively compared to 28 percent favorably.

A little-known politician before this year’s primary campaign, Mamdani is an outspoken supporter of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to isolate Israel from the international community as a step toward its eventual elimination. Mamdani also defended the phrase “globalize the intifada” — which references previous periods of sustained Palestinian terrorism against Jews and Israelis and has been widely interpreted as a call to expand political violence — by invoking the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising during World War II. In response, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum repudiated the mayoral candidate, calling his comments “outrageous and especially offensive to [Holocaust] survivors.”

Mamdani sparked outrage again on Sunday when he seemingly sidestepped a direct question on whether Hamas is a terrorist organization, instead condemning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and calling for an end to the war in Gaza.