Trump made clear his intent to penalize colleges where protests against Israel have been prevalent…reports Asian Lite News
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump pledged on Thursday that, if elected, he would strip U.S. universities of accreditation and federal funding if they do not put an end to what he described as “anti-Semitic propaganda.”
Speaking remotely to over 1,000 donors at a Republican Jewish Coalition event in Las Vegas, Trump made clear his intent to penalize colleges where protests against Israel have been prevalent, according to Reuters report.
“Colleges will and must end the anti-Semitic propaganda, or they will lose their accreditation and federal support,” Trump stated, pointing to the protests on campuses earlier this year that opposed Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
These protests, led by students, demanded universities cut ties with companies backing Israel. Republicans argue that such protests highlight anti-Semitism within the Democratic Party, though protest groups have denied this, claiming their stance is a critique of Israel’s policies, not of Jewish people.
The Association of American Universities, which represents major U.S. higher education institutions, did not immediately respond to Trump’s remarks. While the federal government does not directly accredit universities, it oversees private organizations that do, which gives the government indirect influence.
Trump also proposed policies to crack down on immigration from conflict zones, pledging to ban refugee resettlements from areas like Gaza and to arrest “pro-Hamas thugs” involved in acts of vandalism, referring to the student protests.
However, U.S. State Department data shows that under both Trump and Biden administrations, the U.S. accepted a comparable number of Palestinian refugees.
Although Trump’s speech provided limited new Middle East policy details, he warned of what he called a dire future for Israel under a potential Harris presidency, claiming without evidence that Israel would be abandoned if Vice President Kamala Harris were to take office.
Harris, who supports Israel alongside President Joe Biden, has nonetheless advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza, describing the humanitarian situation as devastating.
Since Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, which left approximately 1,200 Israelis dead and 250 hostages, Israel’s military response has killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
The conflict has displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, triggered a hunger crisis, and led to genocide accusations against Israel, which the country denies.
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