President Robert Manuel of Depaul University testified in entrance of the United States Education and Work Committee on Wednesday morning, apologizing for any harm induced to Jewish college students, the school and workers from Hamas’ terrorist assaults on October 7, 2023.
Manuel joined the presidents of the Haverford College and California Polytechnic State University in a listening to lit to Capitol Hill who addresses anti -Semitism on the college campuses following Israel’s response to assaults and the following struggle in Gaza.
Depaul has adopted concrete measures to make sure that Jewish college students are protected on the campus from the assault, Manuel mentioned to the Committee, together with the suspension of pro-Palestine teams on the campus, akin to college students for justice in Palestine, and forbidding one other group referred to as Behind Behind Lines.
The University additionally invited an ex-anti-dipFamation League professional to assist with “Jewish dedication on the campus”, mentioned Manuel, and created a process power devoted to anti-Semitism.
In April 2024, teams of scholars at Depaul University, a protracted -standing locus of scholars in solidarity with Palestine, launched a camp To protest in opposition to struggle, combining occasions on campus throughout the nation.
In the final 12 months, Manuel has mentioned that the college has made “substantial investments” to extend safety in its Chicago campus and has commissioned an exterior revision of the protection applications to enhance the safety of the campus.
“Going ahead, you may have my dedication that we deal with persevering with to make actual progress and to behave,” mentioned Manuel. “As an individual of religion, I personally decide to confronting anti -Semitism all over the place in our establishments, in our communities and in ourselves.”
In April, Depaul was sued for the accusations of not having confronted anti-Semitism following demonstrations of pro-Palestinian college students on campuses all through the nation final 12 months.
At the listening to, Manuel apologized to the 2 Depoul college students who have been affected by a few males for visibly exhibiting their help in Israel in November.
“What occurred to them was against the law of hatred,” mentioned Manuel. “Nobody ought to ever be attacked due to what I’m and I’m sorry for the ache they’re experiencing.”
In the final 12 months, the University has made “substantial investments” to extend safety in its Chicago campus and has commissioned an exterior revision of the protection applications to enhance campus security, Manuel mentioned.
“Going ahead, you may have my dedication that we deal with persevering with to make actual progress and to behave,” mentioned Manuel. “As an individual of religion, I personally decide to confronting anti -Semitism all over the place in our establishments, in our communities and in ourselves.”
A 12 months after the camps have been constructed for the primary time on college campuses throughout the nation, the Chamber Republicans put the faculty presidents with the recent seat to query their tolerance of anti -Semitism of their universities.
“We have stored and can proceed to make these universities accountable whereas selecting to withstand or considerably face harassment and discrimination in opposition to Jewish college students on their campus,” mentioned the president of the Tim Walberg committee.
The United States consultant Mary Miller requested Manuel very a lot, defining Depoul’s camp of the “worst” of the three universities represented on the listening to. Miller outlined the camp, which lasted on the college for 17 days, a “outbreak of anti -Semitism”, Miller requested Manuel what number of college students have been punished following their participation.
“When we realized that safety was jeopardized, we moved with the Chicago police division to desert the camp,” mentioned Manuel.
The college then went on within the examine of eight teams of scholars for his or her half within the camps, mentioned Manuel, in addition to suspending two college students and placing them on supervised.
Following the fracture of Miller’s fracture fracture, mentioned the United States consultant Lisa McClain, who included Wendy Raymond, president of Haverford College of Haverford, Pennsylvania and Jeffrey Armstrong, president of California Polytechnic State University of San Luis Obispo, “actions speak extra about phrases and we want actions”. McClain has zeroed on Depaul, questioning the college’s response to campus protests since 2023.
Referring to a “Pro-Hamas” demonstration on October 19, 2023, which led to the bodily assault of a Jewish pupil and the camp that occurred on the campus six months later, in April, McClain questioned the shortcoming of Depoul of snuff of the protests quicker.
“It took three weeks,” McClain mentioned. “Would you say that is a suitable time period for motion?”
McClain then learn the demonstration pointers of the Depoul campus in Manuel, who say that demonstrations shouldn’t be “violent or in any other case threaten the protection of the protesters” or block entry, create extreme noise, impede opinions or interrupt college operations.
“You have nice insurance policies and you bought a wonderful lip service,” mentioned McClain. “The drawback is that you just want motion and, until you, as president of the University, usually are not keen to behave, not a lip service. If there’s one other camp … are you breaking down that subsequent day?”
When Manuel apologized for Depaul’s delayed response, McClain shortly shot that the “apology of the president are a bit empty”.
Several members of the Committee have questioned the productiveness of the listening to. Instead of partaking within the theme of anti -Semitism within the “really and constructively” college campuses, the United States consultant Suzanne Bonamici mentioned that the committee is conserving “one other performative listening to” in one other try to assault larger training.
Referring to the gathering of the white supremacists in Charlottesville in August 2017, the place the group marched by conserving torches and singing “the Jews won’t change us”, Bonamici observed the shortage of hearings in response to the accident and the response of President Donald Trump on the occasion whereas he mentioned “There have been individuals nicely on each side”.
“I do not bear in mind the republican majority he referred to as him,” mentioned Bonamici. “We denounce and condemn all circumstances of anti -Semitism, together with these of colleagues and administration. If we actually wish to defend American Jews, we should converse, no matter this supply, and to not shut an eye fixed when the anti -Semitic assaults come from the leaders of a political occasion.”
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