The Steady Drip: GOP Grills University Leaders in House Antisemitism Hearing (Connecting the Dots: Georgetown University, The City University of New York, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University & Soros Funding, All Networking)

GOP Grills University Leaders in House Antisemitism Hearing (Connecting the Dots: Georgetown University, The City University of New York, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Newsmax.com

Tuesday, 15 July 2025 08:28 PM EDT

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/antisemitism-georgetown-city-university/2025/07/15/id/1218884/

The leaders of three U.S. universities testified before a House of Representatives panel on Tuesday about what they have done to combat antisemitism on campus, saying they were committed to stamping out hatred while protecting academic freedom.

At Tuesday's three-hour hearing, Georgetown University interim President Robert Groves, City University of New York Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez, and University of California, Berkeley Chancellor Richard Lyons came under fire from Republicans.

Many of them echoed President Donald Trump's recent attacks on universities, which he has described as "infested with radicalism," and questioned whether the presidents were doing enough to protect Jewish students and faculty.

"The genesis of this antisemitism, this hatred that we're seeing across our country, is coming from our universities," said Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah.

It was the latest in a series of hearings about antisemitism on campus in which university leaders testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, which is tasked with higher education oversight.

Democrats on the panel used the session to question the Trump administration's gutting of the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, which probes incidents of antisemitism and other forms of discrimination. That has led to a backlog in investigations at a time when Republicans say universities are not doing enough to combat antisemitism.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for the administration to resume dismantling the department, part of Trump's bid to shrink the federal role in education and give more control to the states.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., called the hearing a "kangaroo court."

"This scorched-earth warfare against higher education will endanger academic freedom, innovative research, and international cooperation for generations to come," Takano said, referring to the administration's efforts to cut off funding to some schools, including Harvard and Columbia, and impose other sanctions.

University leaders have come under fire from both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian communities for their handling of protests that broke out after the 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas militants and the conflict that emerged from it. On some campuses, clashes erupted between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators, spawning antisemitic and Islamophobic rhetoric and assaults in some cases.

During the hearing, the university leaders were repeatedly asked about their responses to antisemitic actions by faculty or affiliated scholars.

Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., asked Berkeley's Lyons about a February event in which speakers "repeatedly denied that Israeli women were gang-raped by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023, and argued that Israel was weaponizing feminism."

Lyons said the online event in question was organized by a faculty member but the comments that Miller cited did not come from the Berkeley faculty member. He said the school anticipated that some of the ideas discussed at the event would prove controversial.

"I did not prevent it from happening because I felt that keeping the marketplace for ideas open was really important in this instance," he said.

Previous hearings held by the panel have led to significant consequences for university presidents.

In December 2023, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., raised her own political profile by grilling the presidents of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

She asked them whether "calling for the genocide of Jews" would violate their schools' codes of conduct related to bullying and harassment. Each president declined to give a simple "yes" or "no" answer, noting that a wide range of hateful speech is protected under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment and under university policies.

Their testimony, which many viewed as insensitive and detached, triggered an outcry. More than 70 U.S. lawmakers later signed a letter demanding that the governing boards of the three universities remove the presidents. Soon afterward, Harvard's Claudine Gay and Penn's Liz Magill resigned.

Columbia President Minouche Shafik resigned in August, following her April testimony before the committee.

Connecting the Dots:

CDC Foundation is a foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Robert Jeffrey was a board member for the CDC Foundation and is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

Madeleine K. Albright was a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and a professor at Georgetown University.

Thomas J. Edelman is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and a director at Georgetown University.

Anthony Lake was a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and is a professor at Georgetown University.

James L. Jones Jr. is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and was a men's basketball team forward at Georgetown University.

Chuck Hagel is the chair for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and a professor at Georgetown University.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Nemir A. Kirdar was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and is a director at Georgetown University.

Donald F. McHenry is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a professor at Georgetown University.

Hugh B. Price was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and is a director at Georgetown University.

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding was a center at Georgetown University.

Alwaleed bin Talal is the benefactor for the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and the founder of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation.

Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation was a funder for the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow and the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and the Human Rights Watch.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and a benefactor for the Human Rights Watch.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Human Rights Watch.

John J. Studzinski is a papal knighthood knight, a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and a director at the Human Rights Watch.

Gara LaMarche was the VP & director of U.S. programs for the Open Society Foundations, an associate director for the Human Rights Watch and a director at the White House Project.

Daisy Khan was a director at the White House Project, is a developer for Park51, and an executive director for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Park51

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park51

Park51 (originally named Cordoba House) was a planned 13-story Islamic community center in Lower Manhattan. The majority of the center was set aside for the general public to promote interfaith dialogue. Plans for the center included a Muslim prayer space which, due to its location two blocks from the World Trade Center site,^[6][7] has controversially been referred to as the "Ground Zero mosque", though numerous commentators disputed that characterization.^[8][9] As of August 2014, the owner proposes to build a three-story museum instead of the original 13-story center.

American Society for Muslim Advancement is a sister organization for the Cordoba Initiative, and a sponsor for the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow.

Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation was a funder for the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow, and the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

Alwaleed bin Talal is the founder of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, and the benefactor for the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding.

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding was a center at Georgetown University.

Madeleine K. Albright was a professor at Georgetown University and an honorary director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Anthony Lake is a professor at Georgetown University and was a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Chuck Hagel was a professor at Georgetown University the chairman for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank) and is the Defense secretary for the Barack Obama administration.

James L. Jones Jr. was a men's basketball team forward at Georgetown University, a national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration and is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and a benefactor for the Human Rights Watch.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the

Richard C. Blum was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), married to Senator Dianne Feinstein, a regent at the University of California and a board member at the Haas School of Business.

University of California, Berkeley is a University of California campus.

Haas School of Business is a business school at the University of California, Berkeley.

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) was founded at the University of California, Berkeley.

Zohran Mamdani attended Bowdoin College in Maine, where he co-founded the school's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Mahmood Mamdani’s son and the presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City in the 2025 election.

Mahmood Mamdani is Zohran Mamdani’s father and a Ugandan academic, author, and political commentator. The Herbert Lehman Professor of Government and a professor of anthropology, political science and African studies at Columbia University.

Letitia James

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letitia_James

James earned a Master of Public Administration degree in 2013 from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), located in the Morningside Heights section of Manhattan.[15] She later served as Columbia University's William S. Beinecke Visiting Professor of Public Policy in the Faculty of International and Public Affairs.

Letitia James received her MPA at Columbia University, the Attorney General of New York and the chair for the Committee on Economic Development.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Committee for Economic Development and the International Rescue Committee.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

George E. Rupp was a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, the president of Columbia University and is an overseer; former president & CEO for the International Rescue Committee.

Andrew S. Grove was an overseer at the International Rescue Committee and a benefactor for the University of California, Berkeley.

Rhonda Weingarten (Randi) is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, a director at the Economic Policy Institute, the president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), a director at the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy and was the president of the United Federation of Teachers.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the International Rescue Committee, the Economic Policy Institute and the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Matthew Goldstein is a director at the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy and the chancellor for the City University of New York.

Iris Weinshall is the vice chancellor for the City University of New York, a friend of Merryl H. Tisch, married to Charles E. Schumer and was the transportation commissioner for New York (NY).

Charles E. Schumer is married to Iris Weinshall and a U.S. Senate senator.

Eliot Spitzer is an adjunct professor for the City University of New York and a columnist for Slate.

Cliff Sloan was a publisher for Slate, the Guantanamo Bay envoy for the U.S. Department of State and a director at the American Constitution Society.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the American Constitution Society.

George Soros is the founder & chairman of the Open Society Foundations.

Eric H. Holder Jr. was a board member for the American Constitution Society and is the attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice for the Barack Obama administration.

Mario M. Cuomo was a board of adviser’s member for the American Constitution Society and the New York state government governor, lieutenant governor, & secretary of state.

Barbra Streisand Foundation was a funder for the American Constitution Society.

Walter E. Dellinger III is a board of adviser’s member for the American Constitution Society and was the acting solicitor general for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Christine A. Varney is a director at the American Constitution Society and was an assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Robert Raben was a director at the American Constitution Society and an assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Philippa Scarlett was a director at the American Constitution Society and a deputy associate attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Janet Reno was a board of adviser’s member for the American Constitution Society and an attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Debo P. Adegbile is a director at the American Constitution Society, was and an assistant attorney general nominee for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is a division of the U.S. Department of Justice and a “Gun Safety, Gun Control” Government Bureau for guns.

Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence is a “Gun Safety, Gun Control” group for guns.

Maria Cuomo Cole is a trustee at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Mario M. Cuomo’s daughter and married to Kenneth D. Cole.

Kenneth D. Cole is married to Maria Cuomo Cole and a trustee at the Sundance Institute.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Sundance Institute.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Lyn Davis Lear is a trustee at the Sundance Institute, married to Norman Lear, a trustee at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and a director at the Lear Family Foundation.

Barbra Streisand is a trustee at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the founder for the Barbra Streisand Foundation.

Norman Lear is married to Lyn Davis Lear, the president of the Lear Family Foundation and a director at the People for the American Way.

Margery Tabankin is a director for the People for the American Way and the treasurer for the Barbra Streisand Foundation.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the People for the American Way.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Lear Family Foundation was a funder for the People for the American Way and a donor for the Movement Resource Group.

Movement Resource Group was a funder for the Occupy Movement.

Occupy Wall Street was the initial protest for the Occupy Movement.

Zuccotti Park was the staging area for 2011 NYC protests for Occupy Wall Street.

Brookfield Office Properties is the owner of Zuccotti Park.

Diana L. Taylor was a director at Brookfield Office Properties and is Michael R. Bloomberg’s companion.

Michael R. Bloomberg is Diana L. Taylor’s companion, the founder of Everytown for Gun Safety, the founder of the Independence USA PAC, a co-chair for the Mayors Against Illegal Guns, an advocate for the ONE Campaign and was a contributor for the Americans for Responsible Solutions.

Everytown for Gun Safety is a “Gun Safety, Gun Control” group for guns.

Independence USA PAC is a “Gun Safety, Gun Control” PAC for guns.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a “Gun Safety, Gun Control” group for guns.

Americans for Responsible Solutions is a “Gun Safety, Gun Control” PAC for guns.

Michael R. Bloomberg is an advocate for the ONE Campaign.

Michelle Obama was an advocate for the ONE Campaign.

Morton H. Halperin is a director at the ONE Campaign and Mark Halperin’s father.

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the International Rescue Committee and the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

George E. Rupp is an overseer; former president & CEO for the International Rescue Committee and was the president of Columbia University.

Rhonda Weingarten (Randi) is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee and a director at the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy.

Matthew Goldstein is a director at the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy and the chancellor for the City University of New York.

Andrew S. Grove was an overseer at the International Rescue Committee and a benefactor for the University of California, Berkeley.

Madeleine K. Albright was an overseer at the International Rescue Committee and a professor at Georgetown University.

International Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.

Michael R. Bloomberg is an advocate for the ONE Campaign and the founder of Bloomberg LP.

Bloomberg Politics is a division of Bloomberg LP.

Mark Halperin became the senior political analyst and a contributor, the founding editor for Bloomberg Politics, is Morton H. Halperin’s son and is currently a host and commentator for Newsmax TV.

Bloomberg Politics is a division of Bloomberg LP.

Bloomberg News is a division of Bloomberg LP.

Michael Lewis is a columnist for the Bloomberg News and a visiting fellow at the University of California, Berkeley.