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These Democrats Refused to Stand by Israel in Face of Antisemitic College Protests

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  May 07, 2024 7:30 AM

Last month, we highlighted Democratic House members and House candidates who refused to stand by Israel in the face of an attack from Iran. Our ally in the Middle East is still being targeted, this time with protests on college campuses from terrorist sympathizers across the country. These members and candidates have been silent in the face of protests taking place at their alma mater, however. 

Columbia University has especially been in the news lately, where the NYPD moved in last week to do something about the pro-Hamas agitators and their encampments on campus. Sue Altman is an alumni of Columbia, yet she's failed to call out the protests from her X account. 

She's running against Republican Rep. Thomas Jean, Jr. in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District, which Cook Political Report considers to be a "Toss-Up."

She's also failed to weigh in on the even more recent news about Columbia, including how they caved to terrorist sympathizers and canceled the commencement ceremony. Her posts have mainly been abortion, despite New Jersey being such a pro-abortion state. 

On Monday night, she posted about Holocaust Remembrance Day. "With the rise in antisemitism, it is important that we reaffirm our commitment to never forget the atrocities of the past and vow to root out intolerance in all forms," the generic post read, making it even more significant she didn't call out the protests. 

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Even with former President Claudine Gay's resignation, Harvard continues to be a bastion for spreading pro-Hamas propaganda. Maria Ressa, the commencement speaker, penned an editorial less than a month after the October 7 attack that Hamas perpetrated against Israel. In the Phillipines-based editorial, she compared Israel to Hitler and accused our ally in the Middle East of "targeting" news reporters.

In late April, as encampments in violation of university policy were going up around the country, Harvard students erected their own tents. They also raised the Palestinian flag.

Although he's been posting plenty both of his X accounts, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) has yet to call out Harvard. His seat is considered "Likely Democrat," and he was also featured in last month's piece.

State Sen. Dave Min, another alumni, is hoping to succeed Rep. Katie Porter in California's 47th Congressional District. Porter forewent running for reelection in order to unsuccessfully run for U.S. Senate. The seat is a "Lean Democrat," so Min only has a slight advantage. While his official account on Monday afternoon posted a clip of a floor speech about Holocaust Remembrance Day and SCR 135, there's no posts dedicated to Harvard.

Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District is in a "Likely Democrat" seat, but he too has been silent on Harvard protests, despite how he touted his support for the Antisemitism Awareness Act and commemorated Holocaust Remembrance Day in a post from Sunday night. 

George Washington University, right by the White House in D.C., has been another shameful example where pro-Hamas terrorists have taken control, including when it comes to defacing a statue of George Washington. It's only just recently concerned the university president enough to call on the metro police to step in, though as referenced during Monday's White House press briefing, they refused to respond. 

Yet alumni of GWU, such as Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09) who is in a "Likely Democrat" race and Rep. Susan Wild (PA-07) who is in a "Toss-Up" race, have been silent on the protests going on not only in President Joe Biden's backyard, but at the school they went to.

Both Soto and Wild posted from their official accounts on Monday a statement about Holocaust Remembrance Day, with that also being the day Wild posted about Jewish Heritage Month. Such posts were rather generic, though, and failed to mention their alma mater or any college protests. 

The University of California - Los Angeles has been truly getting out of control with the protests, with more caving taking place as the campus is now going remote until May 10, over an unnamed "ongoing disruption," though it's of course pro-Hamas activity.

Yet Rudy Salas, who was also referenced in last month's piece, has stayed silent about the protests going on at his alma mater. He's in a true "Toss-Up" race against Republican Rep. David Valadao, who represents California's 22nd Congressional District, and who fended Salas off in 2022.

UC - Berkeley is another trouble spot in the UC system where terrorist sympathizers have been running wild. 

Rep. Andrea Salinas, of Oregon's 6th Congressional District, who is in a "Likely Democrat" race, was featured in last month's article as well. She has also failed to condemn the antisemitic protests going on across college campuses, including at her alma mater. The Monday post to her official account referencing Holocaust Remembrance Day was generic in nature and made no reference to the protests, even as she pointed out "[w]e must never forget this dark time in history. And we must keep working to stop antisemitism and hate."

Still another problematic university in the UC system is UC - Santa Barbara, where students erected an encampment earlier this month. Adam Gray, a Democrat who is running to unseat Republican Rep. John Duarte to represent California's 13th Congressional District in a "Toss-Up" race has failed to address the protests, though. He was also featured in last month's article.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) targeted Rep. Gabe Vasquez, a freshman representing New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District, who is in another "Toss-Up" race. A post from last week called him a "[r]abid antisemite, noting how he "demanded a ceasefire."

He still has yet to post about campus protests, though, from either the political X account the NRCC tagged, or his official account. 

Cornell University, like other Ivy League schools, has also experienced pro-Hamas activity, and had to suspend students. 

Rep. Sharice Davids (KS-03), who is in a "Likely Democrat" race, did not post about such antisemitic protests. She was also featured in last month's article for failing to call out Iran's attack on Israel. 

Another problematic Ivy League is Princeton University, where a pro-Hamas encampment has been going on for over a week. George Whitesides, who is running in a "Toss-Up" seat to unseat Rep. Mike Garcia for California's 27th Congressional District. He was mentioned in last month's piece as well, and again he failed to post his support for Israel in the face of the encampment at his alma mater.

Late last month, students at the University of Colorado made demands against Israel, including that the university put out a statement "condemning the genocidal actions of Israel" and that they financially divest from Israel. Rep. Yadira Caraveo (CO-08), who is in a "Toss-Up" race, has failed to address the anti-Israel protests. She too was mentioned in last month's article.

While she hardly posts from her political account, she has posted recently about abortion. 

Pro-Hamas protests at Carnegie Mellon were among those going on in Pittsburgh, even taking place around Passover. Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03) is in a "Lean Democrat" race and has failed to call out such protests going on at her alma mater, from either of her X accounts. 

Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-04), who is in a slightly better position in that he's in a "Likely Democrat" race, has also failed to call out the pro-Hamas protests going on at his alma mater, University of Nevada - Reno. 

Tony Vargas is a Democrat running to unseat Republican Rep. Don Bacon for Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District in a "Lean Republican" seat. He too was featured in last month's article, and he's again failed to call out pro-Hamas activity. He's also been silent on the sit-in that took place at the University of Rochester earlier this month.

State Sen. John Mannion is a Democrat running against Republican Rep. Brandon Williams (NY-22) in a "Lean Democrat" race. He was featured in last month's article, and once again he's failed to stand for Israel by failing to call out the pro-Hamas protests going on at his alma mater, Binghamton University. 

Eugene Vindman, running as a Democrat for Virginia's 7th Congressional District, an open race this year that's regarded as "Lean Democrat," has been having quite a messy campaign. He too went to Binghamton. He's frequently brought up on the campaign trail how he's Jewish, and he also posted about Holocaust Remembrance Day on Sunday, with a generic post noting "may we recommit ourselves to fighting antisemitism and hatred everywhere." There has been no mention, however, of campus protests at Binghamton or anywhere else. 

Sarah Klee Hood, like Mannion, is also running in the NY-22 race. Pro-Hamas protests have been going on at Arizona State University as well, yet like Mannion, she too has been silent about such agitators.  

Like Vindman, former Del. Elizabeth Guzman is running for the VA-07 race. She's problematic on several issues, including on Israel, given that she's failed to address the protests at the University of Southern California, where a swastika was found. 

Running in a "Lean Republican" race in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District is Missy Cotter Smasal, who has been silent on the pro-Hamas protests, including those going on at her alma mater of Villanova University. 

Last but not least is Kirsten Engel, who attended Northwestern University and Brown University, both of which have seen pro-Hamas activity happen. Terrorist sympathizers even became violent with police officers at Northwestern, as Guy, who is also an alumni, highlighted. 

"Leave it to extreme Democrats to cower to leftist pro-terror mobs calling for the genocide of Jews. If they can’t muster the courage to denounce Antisemitism at their alma maters, they won’t ever denounce hate speech and criminal chaos," NRCC Rapid Response Director Macy Gardner told Townhall in response to such a list of examples.