Leaders from Georgetown, the City University of New York, and the University of California, Berkeley, testified before Congress on Tuesday on antisemitism in higher education. 

President Donald Trump has previously halted funding to schools such as Harvard University based on allegations that it, and similar schools, have not done enough to curb antisemitism in the wake of Israel’s war with Hamas.

Republican Rep. Tim Walberg outlined the purpose of the committee as discovering why anti-Jewish bias has been widespread and often unaddressed in academia. He stated that Congress will examine student groups, Middle Eastern studies centers, foreign funding, and DEI as possible sources or exacerbators of antisemitism.

Robert Groves, the interim president at Georgetown University, was the first of the university heads to defend actions related to the allegations. Groves stated that Georgetown “is not perfect” but that the university has not experienced antisemitic violence or tent encampments, a favorite method of pro-Palestinian activists. 

Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, the chancellor of CUNY, made similar defenses of the university. Rodríguez also seemed to deflect, stating that although CUNY has witnessed the rise of antisemitic rhetoric and violence, “antisemitism has no place at CUNY.”

When prompted by Republican Tim Walberg, the committee chairman, Rodríguez stated that the definition of antisemitism is “Hatred or prejudice against Jews or individuals who are perceived to be Jewish.”

The chancellor of UC Berkeley, Dr. Rich Lyons, aimed his remarks at accepting more responsibility than his two preceding counterparts. He said, “I am the first to say, we have more work to do.”

Lyons also told Congress, “[W]e have a solemn obligation to protect our community from discrimination and harassment, while also upholding the First Amendment right to free speech.”

The tacit verbal support of these university presidents drew parallels to earlier congressional appearances by the heads of Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania. The two executives had previously struggled to answer whether they would punish a student who called for the genocide of Jewish people. 

In April, Columbia University President Nemat Shafik also appeared before Congress to address staunch antisemitism on her Ivy League campus.

According to the Department of Education, roughly 60 universities are the subject of investigation over antisemitic concerns. A December House report found that as a result of antisemitic incidents, UC Berkeley had “issued no suspensions and placed only one student on probation.”

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