Leaders from the City University of New York (CUNY), University of California (UC) Berkley and Georgetown University, were questioned by the House Education and Workforce Committee regarding antisemitism on their campuses after the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel.
Representative Elise Stefanik (R-New York) questioned CUNY Chancellor Matos Rodriquez about the anti-Jewish graffiti on campus and the university’s ties with Mahmoud Khalil.
Another of the many representatives who asked questions was Congresswoman Lisa McClain (R-Michigan). Here is part of the exchange between her and UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons.
McClain: In your testimony, you rightly acknowledged Hamas' invasion of Israel as a terrorist attack. Dr. Makdisi, a professor of history at Berkeley University, on the other hand, said, “I could have been one of those people who broke through on the siege on October 7th.” What do you think he meant by that?
Lyons: I-I can't speak to ...
McClain: I know, but you're a pretty intelligent man or, at least, come off as a pretty intelligent man. What do you think he meant by that?
Lyons: I-I'm not ...
McClain: Put yourself in a Jewish student's, you know ...
Lyons: I look, I think ... I want to separate the phrase from the person.
McClain and others repeatedly accused the four of evading questions.
Zachary Marschall, PhD, Editor in Chief of the Leadership Institute's Campus Reform, shared his reactions. He started with a disclaimer that he was not able to watch the entire hearing, which C-Span clocks at about 3 hours, but he said he did scan continuous updates throughout the day.
“Berkeley was shortlisted by the Trump Administration as one of less than a dozen schools that they were going to investigate for failures to protect Jewish students, and that is a very deserved short list for them to be on,” Marschall states.
Marschall said Berkeley was one of the worst campuses for Jewish students after October 7th.
"It is the site of what I think is one of the ugliest incidents of anti-Semitism after October 7th, which is when a mob tried to break down glass doors and attack of group of Jewish students holding an event in a campus building, and those Jews had to escape through an underground tunnel, which is something that should not have to happen in this country," says Marschall.
There is a complete disconnect between our reality and the reality of the leaders that attended this meeting, especially Berkley, Marschall expresses.
He said he did not see any evidence today that anyone from these schools, especially Berkeley, learned or internalized the lesson they need to learn.
“...about what it means to be against anti-Semitism and to protect Jewish students from harassment the same way they would do it for any other minorities,” Marschall concludes.
