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On Wednesday, the US House Committee on Education and the Workforce questioned the presidents of Haverford College, in Pennsylvania, DePaul University, in Chicago, and California Polytechnic State University, in San Luis Obispo. All three made statements condemning antisemitism. The presidents of DePaul and California Polytechnic described specific actions they had taken in response to antisemitic incidents on their campuses.

The hearing became fiery when Republicans took Haverford College president Wendy Raymond to task for her unresponsive and evasive answers to questions. Raymond was asked multiple times whether Haverford had taken disciplinary action against students and faculties members who engaged in antisemitic harassment of Jewish students, but she refused to answer.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) told Raymond, "You still don’t get it. Haverford still doesn’t get it. It’s a very different testimony than the other presidents who are here today, who are coming with specifics. This is completely unacceptable and it’s why this committee has stepped in."

At one point, Rep. Stefanik asked Raymond to describe the disciplinary action taken against a professor who allegedly posted a statement to social media just after October 7, 2023, saying: "We should never have to apologize for celebrating these scenes of an imprisoned people breaking free from their chains."

"Respectfully, representative, I will not be talking about individual cases," Raymond said.

Stefanik shot back: "Respectfully, president of Haverford, many people have sat in this position who are no longer in the positions as president of universities for their failure to answer straightforward questions."

The hearing came just days after Harvard University finally released its presidential task force report on combating antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias. Harvard has been an egregious example of an American university tolerating hatred and bigotry against Jewish students.

Maya Sulkin at The Free Press reports:

Nearly 60 percent of Jewish students at Harvard said they had experienced "discrimination, stereotyping, or negative bias on campus due to [their] views on current events," according to the 311-page report. The report said that 73 percent of Jewish students expressed discomfort sharing their political opinions, while 75 percent believed there was an "academic or professional penalty" for expressing their views at Harvard.

Jewish students also said they had concealed their identity from classmates and been ghosted by longtime friends for expressing sympathy for Israel—or for appearing in Instagram posts with those who did. Jewish students at Harvard also reported choosing to “avoid certain degree programs, classes, and panel discussions sponsored by various departments and centers at Harvard because of antisemitism.”

This week, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon sent a letter to Harvard president Alan Garber, in which she made clear:

…[T]his letter is to inform you that Harvard should no longer seek grants from the federal government, since none will be provided. Harvard will cease to be a publicly funded institution and can instead operate as a privately funded institution, drawing on its colossal endowment and raising money from its large base of wealthy alumni... [T]oday’s letter marks the end of new grants for the university.

In response to the Secretary’s letter, the Republican Jewish Coalition stated: “The days of failing to protect Jewish students on campus without consequences are OVER.”

Adam Kredo at the Washington Free Beacon reports:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will dissolve the State Department’s Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA), a Biden-era creation that elevated relations with the Palestinian Authority, the Washington Free Beacon has learned.

Rubio directed newly installed US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee to merge the independent diplomatic office and its responsibilities, including outreach to the Palestinians, with the American embassy in Jerusalem, US officials and congressional sources briefed on the matter confirmed to the Free Beacon. The decision is meant to restore the Trump administration’s first-term vision for a unified US diplomatic mission in Israel’s capital that reports directly to the ambassador.

The Republican Jewish Coalition strongly opposed the Biden administration’s establishment of a separate US diplomatic office for Palestinians in Jerusalem that reported directly to the Secretary of State. Biden’s move circumvented President Donald Trump’s first-term implementation of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1996, when Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem. We are pleased that President Trump has returned the US to a unified diplomatic mission in Israel’s capital that reports to the ambassador to Israel.

A Pentagon inspector general report published this week offered new details about President Joe Biden’s floating pier in Gaza.

The pier, which was supposed to help bring humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, was operational for about 20 days in 2024 and cost about $230 million, Reuters reports.

The Pentagon said at the time that three US troops suffered non-combat injuries in support of the pier, an operation that required the work of about 1,000 US forces. The new IG report says the number of injured service members was actually 62.

One service member died as a result of injuries sustained during non-combat duties on the mission. Army Sgt. Quandarius Stanley died in October after being critically injured in May when high winds and heavy seas damaged the pier, causing four Army vessels to become beached, The Associated Press reported at the time.

The joint Army-Navy pier effort was mishandled from the start. The IG report shows that, “mission planners failed to identify environmental factors, such as beach conditions and sea states…; Army and Navy equipment was not interoperable and caused damage when combined; and cuts to training and resources further challenged the operation’s success,” according to the Military Times.

The investment of blood and treasure into the pier produced no positive results, because Hamas terrorists stole the aid that was brought in. The Algemeiner reports:

Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, the US Defense Department’s press secretary under the Biden administration, subsequently acknowledged that none of the 569 metric tons of aid delivered across the pier actually made it into the hands of Gaza residents. Ryder told reporters that the Biden administration’s "humanitarian partners" had not been able to distribute the aid to Palestinian civilians. Moreover, Ryder explained that some of the trucks delivering aid to warehouses in Gaza were "intercepted."

Some of RJC's top leaders have been honored recently.

Congratulations to RJC Board of Directors member Barbara Feingold on being appointed by President Donald Trump to serve on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

Congratulations to RJC Board of Directors member J. Philip Rosen on being named the new chair of the World Jewish Congress's American section.

Congratulations to RJC Board member Norman Freidkin and his son, RJC Leader Steven Freidkin, who are being honored tonight at JSSA's "The Stars Come Out" event. They are jointly receiving the Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) 2025 Joseph Ottenstein Award for their service to the community.

Reactions from Jewish leaders, lawmakers on Trump's first 100 days

Trump's first 100 days "have been a tour de force of decisive and effective action after years of malaise and weakness," Republican Jewish Coalition spokesman Sam Markstein told JNS.

"Unlike other presidents who make empty promises, President [Donald] Trump keeps his promises, delivering for the American Jewish community and pro-Israel patriots across our country," Markstein said.

Markstein cited Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, his support of school choice and the administration's crackdown on Jew-hatred on college campuses, including "deporting foreign pro-Hamas radicals."

A Wake-Up Call for Israel Supporters

It was startling last week to hear Matt Brooks, the perpetually composed CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, telling the Jewish News Syndicate's International Policy Summit in Jerusalem that the "cancer that has taken over the Democratic Party with the woke, progressive left" is starting to take hold in the Republican Party.

Saying that "we can't allow that to happen," Brooks urged Republicans to resist the rise of neo-isolationism, which turns Israel into a liability for the US instead of an asset. He reminded party members that if they genuinely support President [Donald] Trump's MAGA agenda, they must recognize that Trump is "the most pro-Israel president in history."

A few days later, Brooks tweeted on X, asking his followers to read Seth Mandel's latest article in Commentary, "The Anti-Semites in the Conservative Manosphere: The world's oldest hatred takes over the world's newest medium." Brooks called this a "MUST READ wake-up call. It's chilling and unsettling."

The RJC officially opened its new chapter office in Las Vegas this past Monday with a special event for RJC Leaders. We're proud to plant our flag in the battleground state of Nevada and were honored to celebrate with so many RJC leaders and friends—including City Councilwoman Victoria Seaman and National Board Member Abbie Friedman. Special thanks to Chapter Chair Linzi Pinto and our local RJC Advisory Council for their ongoing leadership and support as we expand our reach in this critical state.

Ames: The Gaza Famine Myth

Writing at The Free Press, Michael Ames delves into "how lazy journalism, bad data, and skewed statistics fueled accusations of war crimes against Israel."

Spencer & Moshkevich: Hamas Is Not Just a Terrorist Organization

John Spencer and Solomon Moshkevich propose to change how we define Hamas and thereby redefine the war Israel is currently fighting. They argue that "Hamas's current structure and operations mean it is not merely a terrorist group. It is a terrorist regime."

And if Hamas is a ruling regime, then Israel's current fight against Hamas in Gaza falls under the law of war. Spencer and Moshkevich write: "Language also frames legitimacy. If Israel is perceived to be responding to terrorism with full-scale war, it can be accused of overreach. But if Israel is understood to be engaged in a defensive, existential fight against a hostile regime that invaded its territory, killed and kidnapped its citizens, and declares its intent to repeat the attack, then war—along with all the obligations and rules it entails—is the appropriate response, and absolute victory is a justified objective."

Pollock: Biden's Attempt to Oust Netanyahu After October 7

President [Joe] Biden has always claimed he had Israel's back. An explosive new report confirmed by nine of his top national security officials refutes that claim.

The most disturbing revelation is that only months after the October 7 attack, Biden and his aides secretly sought to interfere in Israel's politics and dethrone Israel's democratically elected prime minister.

One former Biden official says there were discussions to "scramble Israeli politics, and see if you can trigger elections, or Gd knows what."

The revelation is based on extensive interviews with former top Biden administration officials that aired on Israeli Channel 13 on April 27.