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The Biden White House on Monday denounced a wave of antisemitism on college campuses and announced a series of actions to address it, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre labeling the uptick in threats against Jewish people alarming.

The Anti-Defamation League said in a report last week that antisemitic incidents across the United States had increased significantly since the Hamas attack on Israel, with 312 antisemitic incidents recorded between Oct. 7 and Oct. 23 — a 388 percent increase compared to the same timeframe last year. Much of the increase had taken place on college and university campuses, ADL said.The report was released prior to a string of new incidents, including online death threats against Cornell Universitys Center for Jewish Living. 

The Biden-Harris administration is taking multiple actions to address this alarming rise, Jean-Pierre said. President Biden has been clear: We cant stand by and stand silent in the face of hate. We must, without equivocation, denounce antisemitism. We must also, without equivocation, denounce Islamophobia.

Senior administration officials, she said, are meeting with Jewish leaders and universities to discuss the threat of antisemitism on campuses and what the administration is doing to act. 

The Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department, she said, have taken steps to ensure campus law enforcement is included in engagements with state and local law enforcement and have taken numerous steps to provide outreach and support directly to campuses. The Department of Education, she said, is expediting the process of making it easier for students and others who experience antisemitism, Islamophobia, or other discrimination to file a complaint under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

A series of threatening messages to the Jewish community and to the Jewish center were posted on Cornells Greekrank forums over the weekend, including one promising to bring a rifle to campus and shoot Jewish people. Cornell University President Martha Pollack released a statement saying law enforcement was investigating the threat and that the university will not tolerate antisemitism. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul visited the school Monday for a roundtable discussion about antisemitic threats, saying the students deserve to have the support of an entire campus and indeed the entire state to help them get through these difficult times.

The Cornell incident was only the latest example of antisemitism and anti-Israel messages on college campuses. 

At George Washington University, opponents of Israel projected messages on the library at night reading, Divestment from Zionist genocide now, Free Palestine From the River to the Sea and Glory to our martyrs.

At Cooper Union, a private college in New York City, Jewish students took cover inside the library as pro-Palestinian students chanted outside and banged on the locked library doors. Security escorted the students to a safer place, one student told CBS News. 

They were chanting: Long live the Intifada, another student said.

At Columbia University, a swastika was found drawn in a restroom of a school building. 

At American University, swastikas and a Nazi slogan were found in a bathroom and dorm rooms of two Jewish students, according to Insider Higher Ed.

The White House previously issued a statement expressing concern about the incidents. 

Amidst the rise in poisonous, antisemitic rhetoric and hate crimes that President Biden has fought against for years, there is an extremely disturbing pattern of antisemitic messages being conveyed on college campuses, Andrew Bates, White House deputy press secretary, said in a statement. Just over the past week, weve seen protests and statements on college campuses that call for the annihilation of the state of Israel; for genocide against the Jewish people. Jewish students have even had to barricade themselves inside buildings. These grotesque sentiments and actions shock the conscience and turn the stomach. They also recall our commitment that cant be forgotten: never again.

Photo Courtesy: Getty Images/Spencer Platt / Staff

Video Courtesy: CBS Evening News via YouTube

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.READ: THE CONFLICT IN ISRAEL: WHAT CAN I DO?Immediate Humanitarian Aid Needed3 Ways to Pray for Israel5 Powerful Prayers for IsraelA Prayer against Anti-SemitismLISTEN: Special Update – Biden in Israel (#7 below)

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Salem Web Network and Salem Media Group. WATCH: A Prayer for Israel

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Collapsed crypto firm Ziglu faces $2.7M deficit amid special administration

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Collapsed crypto firm Ziglu faces .7M deficit amid special administration

Collapsed crypto firm Ziglu faces .7M deficit amid special administration

Thousands of savers face potential losses after a $2.7 million shortfall was discovered at Ziglu, a British crypto fintech that entered special administration.

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Heidi Alexander says ‘fairness’ will be government’s ‘guiding principle’ when it comes to taxes at next budget

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Heidi Alexander says 'fairness' will be government's 'guiding principle' when it comes to taxes at next budget

Another hint that tax rises are coming in this autumn’s budget has been given by a senior minister.

Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was asked if Sir Keir Starmer and the rest of the cabinet had discussed hiking taxes in the wake of the government’s failed welfare reforms, which were shot down by their own MPs.

Trevor Phillips asked specifically if tax rises were discussed among the cabinet last week – including on an away day on Friday.

Politics Hub: Catch up on the latest

Tax increases were not discussed “directly”, Ms Alexander said, but ministers were “cognisant” of the challenges facing them.

Asked what this means, Ms Alexander added: “I think your viewers would be surprised if we didn’t recognise that at the budget, the chancellor will need to look at the OBR forecast that is given to her and will make decisions in line with the fiscal rules that she has set out.

“We made a commitment in our manifesto not to be putting up taxes on people on modest incomes, working people. We have stuck to that.”

Ms Alexander said she wouldn’t comment directly on taxes and the budget at this point, adding: “So, the chancellor will set her budget. I’m not going to sit in a TV studio today and speculate on what the contents of that budget might be.

“When it comes to taxation, fairness is going to be our guiding principle.”

Read more:
Reeves won’t rule out tax rises

What is a wealth tax and how would it work?

👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne’s on your podcast app👈      

Afterwards, shadow home secretary Chris Philp told Phillips: “That sounds to me like a barely disguised reference to tax rises coming in the autumn.”

He then went on to repeat the Conservative attack lines that Labour are “crashing the economy”.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Chris Philp also criticsed the government’s migration deal with France

Mr Philp then attacked the prime minister as “weak” for being unable to get his welfare reforms through the Commons.

Discussions about potential tax rises have come to the fore after the government had to gut its welfare reforms.

Sir Keir had wanted to change Personal Independence Payments (PIP), but a large Labour rebellion forced him to axe the changes.

With the savings from these proposed changes – around £5bn – already worked into the government’s sums, they will now need to find the money somewhere else.

The general belief is that this will take the form of tax rises, rather than spending cuts, with more money needed for military spending commitments, as well as other areas of priority for the government, such as the NHS.

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Heidi Alexander says ‘fairness’ will be government’s ‘guiding principle’ when it comes to taxes at next budget

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Heidi Alexander says 'fairness' will be government's 'guiding principle' when it comes to taxes at next budget

Another hint that tax rises are coming in this autumn’s budget has been given by a senior minister.

Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was asked if Sir Keir Starmer and the rest of the cabinet had discussed hiking taxes in the wake of the government’s failed welfare reforms, which were shot down by their own MPs.

Trevor Phillips asked specifically if tax rises were discussed among the cabinet last week – including on an away day on Friday.

Politics Hub: Catch up on the latest

Tax increases were not discussed “directly”, Ms Alexander said, but ministers were “cognisant” of the challenges facing them.

Asked what this means, Ms Alexander added: “I think your viewers would be surprised if we didn’t recognise that at the budget, the chancellor will need to look at the OBR forecast that is given to her and will make decisions in line with the fiscal rules that she has set out.

“We made a commitment in our manifesto not to be putting up taxes on people on modest incomes, working people. We have stuck to that.”

Ms Alexander said she wouldn’t comment directly on taxes and the budget at this point, adding: “So, the chancellor will set her budget. I’m not going to sit in a TV studio today and speculate on what the contents of that budget might be.

“When it comes to taxation, fairness is going to be our guiding principle.”

Read more:
Reeves won’t rule out tax rises

What is a wealth tax and how would it work?

👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne’s on your podcast app👈      

Afterwards, shadow home secretary Chris Philp told Phillips: “That sounds to me like a barely disguised reference to tax rises coming in the autumn.”

He then went on to repeat the Conservative attack lines that Labour are “crashing the economy”.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Chris Philp also criticsed the government’s migration deal with France

Mr Philp then attacked the prime minister as “weak” for being unable to get his welfare reforms through the Commons.

Discussions about potential tax rises have come to the fore after the government had to gut its welfare reforms.

Sir Keir had wanted to change Personal Independence Payments (PIP), but a large Labour rebellion forced him to axe the changes.

With the savings from these proposed changes – around £5bn – already worked into the government’s sums, they will now need to find the money somewhere else.

The general belief is that this will take the form of tax rises, rather than spending cuts, with more money needed for military spending commitments, as well as other areas of priority for the government, such as the NHS.

Continue Reading

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