Auchincloss threatens funding to colleges over antisemitism claims

A Massachusetts congressman wants to discuss cutting federal funding to colleges and universities that he says have been "ransacked" by antisemitism.

Speaking on WBUR's Radio Boston, U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss said universities that fail to protect Jewish students from harassment are violating federal law and could lose federal funding. His comments echoed and broadened out his response to a question during a Fox News interview about reports of antisemitism at Harvard University and other colleges.

Asked on Fox whether Harvard should lose funding, the Democrat and Harvard alum said "it needs to be on the table."

On Wednesday, he told Radio Boston host Tiziana Dearing that there is a "double-standard" on some campuses that has created a hostile learning environment for Jewish students and led to the "downright harassment" of Israeli students. That violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, he said.

"University leaders are acting like this is so incredibly complicated," Auchincloss said. "... It's actually not. We have Title VI. Title VI clearly demarcates the difference between free and protected speech and the obligation of universities to create a suitable learning environment."

Auchincloss said he spoke with several Jewish and Israeli students who described being harassed and discriminated against on campus. He declined to offer further details on the identities and locations of the schools, however, citing the confidential nature of his discussions.

"Everything I am laying out to you was directly related to me [by students]," he said to host Tiziana Dearing, who pressed him for "concrete" examples of harassment.

He did point to news reports of an October incident near Harvard Business School, where an Israeli student said they were harassed. He also cited news reports and anecdotes given as part of a House report on antisemitism on campus. According to the Harvard Crimson, two graduate students at that protest were arrested after allegedly confronting an Israeli student who was reportedly trying to record the faces of protesters.

The congressman did say there can be legitimate criticisms of the Israeli government's handling of the war in Gaza, and cited criticism the Biden administration and others have levied against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Auchincloss reiterated concerns the administration and some Israeli cabinet members have with the lack of plan for a post-Hamas Gaza.

"You cannot defeat something with nothing," Auchincloss said. "If you are going to go in and dismantle Hamas senior leadership, which the United States is ironclad in its commitment to do that … if you're going to do that, you also need to be not day after —day of — posing and implementing governance plans for two million people in north, central and south Gaza."

But when asked, Auchincloss declined to offer a "line" Israel could cross in its treatment of civilians that would change how he feels about U.S. support.

"I'm not going to draw a single line. I think that's simplistic," he said. "They have to adhere to the law of armed conflict. … I think to date they have adhered to the law of armed conflict."

Correction: This story has been updated to correct a quote from U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss on Fox News.