House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday compared protests occurring on American college campuses to what happened at German higher education institutions during World War II.
Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said in sharp remarks during a Holocaust memorial service at the U.S. Capitol that it was “the same elite learning centers” in Germany where “Jewish faculty and students were suddenly expelled.” Ta. American universities are now “hostile places for Jewish students and faculty,” he said.
“The very campus, once the envy of the international academy, has been degraded by the virus of anti-Semitism,” he added. “Students who were known for producing academic papers are now known for stabbing Jews in the eye with Palestinian flags.”
Johnson spoke at the ceremony ahead of President Biden, who also condemned the hateful rhetoric and property damage caused by some of the pro-Palestinian protests that have spread on U.S. college campuses in recent weeks. “To my Jewish community, let me say that I understand your hurt, your fear, and your pain,” Biden said.
Mr Johnson has made pro-Palestinian protests a major focus since passing legislation to send $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, a move that has infuriated his right wing. The unrest at universities has become a new focal point for him as he seeks political advantage on an issue that polarizes Democrats.
He visited Columbia University last month and called on Biden to take action to quell the protests, including potentially deploying the National Guard. He announced more Congressional hearings with top university administrators. And he brought to the floor the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, which would crack down on anti-Semitism on campuses, but the bill drew a bizarre backlash from some on the far right.
Mr Johnson on Tuesday described in graphic detail the horrors of October 7, when Hamas launched an attack on defenseless Israelis, comparing it to the remaining footage of the Holocaust.
“We must do everything we can to prevent evil from spreading,” he said. “Now is the time for everyone to come together.”