House Democrats are under pressure to support a resolution condemning the spate of anti-Israel protests on college campuses, but doing so could hurt Democrats’ standing with their most consistent supporters: young voters.
The bill is being fast-tracked to the floor for a vote Wednesday through a House procedure that requires two-thirds approval. That means Democrats, already divided on the Israel-Hamas war, will be key players in deciding whether the bill advances in the Republican-led House.
Democrats also could be testing the depths of their support from a voting bloc of 18- to 29-year-olds who are at the forefront of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel demonstrations.
Nearly two-thirds of young voters who participated in the 2022 elections voted for Democrats, according to polling from Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life.
Last week, 15 House Democrats refused to support a resolution condemning the grisly Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Those Democrats were primarily members of Congress’ far-left “Squad” and other pro-Palestinian liberals.
Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky was the only Republican who opposed that resolution. He said he worried that a clause calling for sanctions against Iran would provoke attacks on Americans overseas.
Rep. Burgess Owens, Utah Republican, is the lead sponsor of the latest resolution, which condemns anti-Israel protests on campuses for creating “a hostile environment for Jewish students, faculty and staff.”
“Antisemitic hate is surging on U.S. college campuses, and Jewish students are living in fear,” Mr. Owens said. “If these schools won’t stand against terrorism, they have no business educating the next generation of Americans.”
He said condemning protests against Israel should be a nonpartisan issue.
The bill has 67 co-sponsors, including three Democrats: Reps. Jared Moskowitz of Florida, Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Henry Cuellar of Texas.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers and Biden administration officials have spoken out against the rash of incidents on college campuses that include demonstrations in support of the terrorist group Hamas, antisemitic graffiti and threats against Jewish students.
Nearly a dozen pro-Hamas statements, such as “Glory to our martyrs,” were projected onto campus buildings at George Washington University.
At Stanford University, a lecturer called Hamas terrorists “freedom fighters” and asked Jewish students to identify themselves.
“The dramatic rise in antisemitic hate on college campuses in New York and throughout the nation is unconscionable,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York Democrat, said on social media. “America must choose benevolence over bigotry. And crush Antisemitism, Islamophobia and hatred in any form.”
Mr. Jeffries did not respond to The Washington Times’ inquiry about whether he supported the Owens resolution.
President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict has already jeopardized Democratic support from young voters. About 51% disapproved of the U.S. sending weapons and military equipment to the Jewish state in response to Hamas’ surprise attacks, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.
Only 23% of voters in the bloc approved of Mr. Biden’s handling of the conflict. The president has promised “all means of appropriate support” for Israel and has asked Congress to approve a $106 billion aid package that includes about $14 billion for Israel.
The White House called the anti-Israel protests the “definition of unacceptable and antisemitism.”
“We’ve seen Jewish students targeted. We’ve seen them intimidated on their own college campuses,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said. “It’s repugnant, and it’s the absolute opposite of what we’re supposed to represent as a nation.”
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.