Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this week directed the state’s universities to make it simpler for out-of-state college students dealing with antisemitism and different non secular harassment within the wake of the Israel-Hamas war to switch to Florida campuses.
DeSantis’ directive on Tuesday piggybacks on blowback some Ivy League leaders have confronted in response to how they’re dealing with antisemitism and anti-Israel protests on their campuses. The governor’s workplace stated there was a rise in inquiries about transferring, with out offering any numbers to again that up.
“With leaders of so-called elite universities enabling antisemitic activities, rather than protecting their students from threats and harassment, it is understandable that many Jewish students are looking for alternatives and looking to Florida,” DeSantis, who’s campaigning for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, stated in a press release.
The order referred to all college students dealing with non secular harassment, and when requested if it included Muslims, Christians and others, a spokeswoman for the board governing Florida’s college programs, stated Wednesday it covers any pupil fearful of spiritual persecution following the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on Israel. Nevertheless, neither she nor the governor’s workplace stated what number of college students had made inquiries about transferring.
‘A political talking point’
Democratic state Sen. Lori Berman stated she is aware of of Florida college students at Harvard who’re involved about antisemitism on campus, however has additionally heard from a pupil on the College of South Florida in Tampa, including that antisemitism is an issue in lots of locations and DeSantis’ directive is doing little to stop it.
“It’s kind of interesting that we’re offering our Florida schools when I’m not sure that our Florida schools are any different than what’s going on elsewhere in the nation,” stated Berman, who’s Jewish.
The lawmaker from South Florida additionally famous there have been Nazi and antisemitic demonstrations and actions in Florida that DeSantis has stated little about.
“He didn’t condemn that at all. He did not condemn any of the neo-Nazi ideology that we’ve seen,” Berman stated, including the governor’s newest transfer appears to be extra geared toward voters than to unravel the issue of antisemitism on faculty campuses.
“It’s a political talking point right before the Iowa caucuses.”
DeSantis has waded into the political aspect of the Israel-Hamas warfare beforehand, together with organizing flights that introduced dozens of U.S. residents in Israel again to Florida within the battle’s early days.
Shortly after that, the governor and the state board that oversees public universities sought to kick off Florida campuses chapters tied to the nationwide College students for Justice in Palestine group. The governor claimed their expressions of help for Hamas equated to backing a terrorist group. The College of Florida chapter and others sued the governor in federal courtroom in November, claiming they’ve First Modification rights to advocate and converse out on the problem. That case stays pending in a Tallahassee courtroom.
Ivy League colleges in disaster
‘College campuses across the U.S. have been roiled by protests since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, and university presidents have been caught in the crosshairs, criticized for how they’ve responded to antisemitic and anti-Muslim acts on and off campus, in addition to their public statements on the warfare. The leaders of Harvard and the College of Pennsylvania resigned recently in the wake of criticism over their testimony at a congressional listening to the place they had been unable to say unequivocally that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the faculties’ conduct insurance policies, citing free speech rights.’Faculty campuses throughout the U.S. have been roiled by protests because the begin of the Israel-Hamas warfare, and college presidents have been caught within the crosshairs, criticized for the way they’ve responded to antisemitic and anti-Muslim acts on and off campus, in addition to their public statements on the warfare. The leaders of Harvard and the College of Pennsylvania resigned recently in the wake of criticism over their testimony at a congressional listening to the place they had been unable to say unequivocally that calls on campus for the genocide of Jews would violate the faculties’ conduct insurance policies, citing free speech rights.
Underneath an emergency order signed by the chancellor of the Florida college system on Tuesday, an out-of-state pupil who has demonstrated “a well-founded fear of persecution” primarily based on faith would have sure necessities, software deadlines and out-of-state tuition waived.
“I think it would be wonderful if it were all religious discrimination. I hope it reads that broadly,” stated Rabbi Rachael Jackson in Orlando, who reviewed the order.
Slightly below 10% of the U.S. Jewish inhabitants of seven.6 million individuals dwell in Florida, the third-highest state after New York and California, according to the American Jewish Population Project at Brandeis University.
Rabbi David Kay in Orlando stated whereas he hasn’t heard of any out-of-state Jewish college students eager to switch to Florida campuses he is aware of Jewish college students who determined to not enroll at Florida universities due to efforts by DeSantis and Republican lawmakers to weaken professor tenure, get rid of variety initiatives and the takeover by DeSantis appointees of New Faculty, a historically progressive college in Sarasota.
The order might backfire by showing to provide Jewish college students particular therapy, he added.
“It may have the opposite effect,” Kay stated, with different college students considering, “Why is discrimination against Jewish students being singled out, instead of Muslim students, Hispanic students and Black students?”
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Related Press writers Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Florida, and Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Florida, contributed to this report.
