Calls for divestment in Israel are fueling protests nationwide, but institutions' commitment to financial security is creating an uncomfortable ethical quandary.
"There is no diversity and inclusion of intellectual thought, and the result of that is antisemitism," said Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.). "College campuses have descended from coveted centers of intellectual freedom to illiberal sewers of tolerance and bigotry."
The Department of Education has opened investigations at six colleges and universities for alleged Title VI shared ancestry violations since the outbreak of the war in Palestine and Israel.
Antisemitic incidents in the U.S. have increased 388% since Oct. 7, compared to the same time last year, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Much of this activity has occurred at some of the nation's most well-regarded institutions.
College leaders are increasingly stepping away from maintaining neutrality and instead opting to denounce Hamas' Oct. 7 attack as an act of terrorism. However, pro-Palestine protests continue to reign across campus, thanks to this student group.
The regulation's added ordinance barring public or social activism comes weeks after the Hamas-Israel conflict sparked incendiary student protests and backlash to university presidents' official statements.
From students all the way up to leadership, college and university community members who've spoken out on the Hamas-Israel conflict have faced intense backlash, further embroiling college campuses in an incendiary humanitarian crisis overseas.
Whether of their own accord or sparked by community members, some colleges have taken it upon themselves to enter the dialogue, drawing mixed reactions from the community and posing the question of when—if ever—institutions should take a political stance during times of heated world events.
