Dive Brief:
- The Biden administration is calling on colleges to condemn antisemitism and implement transparent procedures for reporting antisemitic incidents if they don’t already exist.
- A wide-ranging report released Thursday by the White House outlines a national strategy to counter antisemitism, urging higher education institutions to join the effort.
- Colleges should also offer resources to students who were targeted with intimidation and violence because they are or were perceived to be Jewish, the report said.
Dive Insight:
Antisemitic vandalism and harassment are on the rise at colleges. An official from the Anti-Defamation League said earlier this year that Jewish students are more likely to encounter an antisemitic incident on campus now than they were five years ago.
To combat this, colleges should have diverse task forces — composed of students and employees — dedicated to fighting hate on campus, according to the White House's report. It emphasized the importance of treating antisemitic incidents “with the same seriousness” as other racist and prejudiced acts.
Institutions should issue "clear and unwavering statements condemning all forms of hate, including antisemitism," especially after their campuses have experienced antisemitic incidents.
The Biden administration also pushed for antisemitism to be included in colleges' required diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility trainings. The request comes as many states are attacking and working to ban diversity programs at their public colleges.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has also promised to distribute antisemitism prevention plans with land-grant colleges and rural institutions by March.
