House Resolution Expresses Strong Disapproval Against Campus Antisemitism

The House passed a resolution on Thursday condemning support for terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah, at colleges and universities.

The resolution was aimed at colleges that have been involved in controversy over their responses to the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, citing concerns over the creation of a hostile environment for Jewish students, faculty, and staff.

The resolution passed 396-23.

The resolution expresses concerns about the hostile environment created for Jewish students, faculty, and staff and calls on campus administrators to condemn antisemitism and ensure the protection of free speech rights for Jewish individuals.

“Today, the People’s House sent a clear message to the nation: We firmly reject evil, we strongly support Israel, and we will root out the rotten ideologies found in our higher education system,” Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, who sponsored of the resolution, said in a statement Thursday. “It is the height of hypocrisy that the same colleges advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion are silent as hateful acts of antisemitism spread like wildfire on their campuses.”

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was the only Republican voting against the resolution, according to The Hill. Twenty-two Democrats voted against it, some of whom are members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, The Hill reported.

Massie’s office had not responded to a request for comment late Thursday evening, but the congressman posted on X, formerly Twitter:

“Free speech means protecting speech you don’t like, not just speech you do like. Also, who defines antisemitism? AIPAC made a ridiculous claim that the tweet below, against foreign aid to Israel, was antisemitic.”

Massie links to a screen grab of tweet from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee that does appear to accuse him of antisemitism for his vote against providing aid to Israel.