In a phone call with Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway today, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) raised his concerns over the University’s reply to the ten demands issued by the encampment organizers in order to end the antisemitic, anti-Israel, pro-Hamas protests on its New Brunswick campus.

            “While we had a productive conversation, I continue to have deep concerns about Rutgers’ recent action given their egregious history of antisemitism and its failure to protect Jewish students,” said Smith.

            “I look forward to engaging further with President Holloway including when he comes to testify before Congress later this month to provide needed insights and explanation as part of Congress’ aggressive investigation into antisemitism on college campuses,” Smith said.

            Last week, Rutgers announced it had reached an agreement with protestors, responding to their list of demands that included orders to:

            · “Divest from any firm or corporation materially participating in, benefitting from, or otherwise supporting the state of Israel’s settler colonialism, apartheid, and genocide of Palestine and the Palestinian people…”;

            · “Terminate its partnership with Tel Aviv University…”;

            · Give out scholarships to Gazan students with taxpayer funding; and

            · “…release a statement from the Office of the President acknowledging the ongoing genocide against Palestinians….”

            “Rutgers must absolutely commit to combat the antisemitic threats that have been escalating against Jewish students on campus,” said Smith.

            A March letter informing the University of the congressional investigation notes that “Rutgers stands out for the intensity and pervasiveness of antisemitism on its campuses.” The letter, which Smith said reads more like an indictment, specifically states that “Rutgers-Newark’s Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR) has become notorious as a hotbed of radical antisemitic, anti-American, anti-Israel, and pro-terrorist activity.”

            Smith said that Rutgers has submitted approximately 80,000 pages to date in response to the congressional investigation that remains underway but noted that the vast majority of them have not been illuminative thus far.

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