Bipartisan Bill Would Create ‘Antisemitism Monitors’ at College Campuses

Pro-Palestine protests have been falsely labeled as 'antisemitic' even though many Jewish students are involved

A bill introduced in the House by Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) would create “antisemitism monitors” at colleges funded by the US federal government, a reaction to widespread pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have falsely been labeled antisemitic.

The protests against the US-backed Israeli slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza have led some members of Congress, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), to call for President Biden to send in the National Guard, and the prime minister of Israel has also called for a crackdown. The bill from Torres and Mawler takes a different approach to combat the protests.

According to a press release from Torres and Lawler, the legislation, known as the College Oversight and Legal Updates Mandating Bias Investigations and Accountability (COLUMBIA) Act, would “empower the federal Department of Education to impose a third-party antisemitism monitor on any college or university receiving federal funding.”

“The monitor would be appointed by the Secretary of Education, the terms and conditions of the monitorship would be set by the Secretary, and the expenses of the monitorship would be paid by the particular college or university that has been selected for monitorship,” the press release said. “Failure to comply with the monitorship would result in the loss of federal funds.”

The demonstrations are being labeled antisemitic by Israeli supporters in the US despite the fact that many Jewish students are participating in the demonstrations, including in the encampment at Columbia University in New York City. Many of the protests across the country are demanding their universities divest from Israel or companies profiting from Israel’s genocidal war.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.