Another US congressional hearing to grill universities on antisemitism set for next month

Another congressional hearing on antisemitism has been planned for May, around a year and a half since US Congress members grilled elite university presidents, leading to two being pushed out of their posts.

This time, on 7 May, the House Education & Workforce Committee will be questioning leaders of more universities over alleged antisemitism on college campuses.

"For the past few years, our Committee has played a critical role in both uncovering the rampant antisemitism on college campuses and holding administrators accountable," the committee's chair Tim Walberg, a Republican from Michigan, said in a statement, according to a report by Jewish Insider.

"This hearing is a continuation of this work so that we can ensure Jewish students across the nation don't face threats or harassment in violation of Title VI. Numerous legislative options are under consideration to make certain that schools across the country are ensuring a safe learning environment for all students in compliance with federal law," he said.

Walberg has reportedly been sending letters to a growing number of US universities asking for information for the upcoming hearing.

In the first series of questionings under the previous administration, Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York, made a name for herself in her aggressive questioning of the presidents of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard, resulting in the latter two losing their positions.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump announced the nomination of Yehuda Kaploun as the US special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.

"Yehuda is a successful businessman, and staunch advocate for the Jewish Faith and the Rights of his people to live and worship free from persecution," Trump writes in a post on the right-wing social media platform, Truth Social. "With Anti-Semitism dangerously on the rise, Yehuda will be the strongest Representative for Americans and Jews across the Globe, and promote PEACE. Congratulations Yehuda!"

Kaploun is affiliated with Chabad, a conservative and right-wing Orthodox movement, and was a fundraiser for Trump during last year's campaign and a key person linking the administration with the American-Jewish community.