This week, a coalition of Jewish academics and organizations has publicly expressed serious concerns regarding the Trump administration’s strategy to combat antisemitism, particularly within higher education contexts. These voices argue that the administration’s tactics, purported to protect Jewish students, may paradoxically endanger them and others in academic communities.

Executive Order and Its Implications

In January, President Donald Trump enacted an executive order designed to tackle antisemitism at U.S. universities. The order also explicitly targets foreign-born students who participate in protests perceived as pro-jihadist, associating such activities with antisemitism.

Since the order was signed, immigration officials have detained several individuals involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, notably at Columbia University, including green card holders Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi.

Academic Response

In response to these escalating tensions, a group of Israeli academics has circulated an open letter asserting that the administration’s efforts exploit the legitimate concern over antisemitism to undermine free academic discourse. The signatories contend that by presenting Jewish individuals as a monolithic group requiring special protection, the administration inadvertently fuels anti-Jewish sentiment.

“By singling out Jews as a homogeneous group to be protected at the expense of other marginalized groups and minorities, the administration is in fact fostering anti-Jewish sentiments,” the letter states, highlighting concerns for both Palestinian students and pro-Palestinian faculty.

Concerns from U.S. Academics

Many prominent figures in academic circles are echoing these concerns. For example, Sandy Tolan, a journalism professor at the University of Southern California, referred to the administration’s actions as a “witch hunt” that distracts from the real issue of antisemitism.

Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University, noted that the government’s scrutiny of universities appears to leverage antisemitism as a pretext for enforcing loyalty to the administration, rather than genuinely addressing student safety.

Debate Over Definitions

Moreover, critics are challenging the Trump administration’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, which some argue conflates legitimate critiques of Israel with anti-Jewish bigotry. This definition has reportedly been utilized as a mechanism to target academic institutions.

A Unified Jewish Response

Cumulatively, a coalition of ten organizations, encompassing a broad spectrum of American Jewish denominations, articulated their opposition to what they describe as a “false choice” between fighting antisemitism and upholding democratic values. Their statement emphasizes the danger of undermining due process rights for students who may face legal repercussions under the guise of this campaign.

“There should be no doubt that antisemitism is rising,” the coalition acknowledged, “but these actions do not make Jews—or any community—safer. Rather, they only make us less safe.”