Assemblyman and congressional candidate (NY-17) Mike Lawler today announced that he will introduce legislation in Congress to halt all federal funding of U.S. colleges and universities that systematically discriminate against speakers in support of the State of Israel if he is elected to Congress.
Mr. Lawler makes the announcement on the heels of disturbing news out the University of California at Berkeley which is accused of fostering “Jewish Free Zones” on campus — the summary exclusion of “Zionist” speakers from campus events. Berkeley is not alone; students at other colleges and universities have worked to shut down pro-Israel speech as well.
“Blatant anti-Semitism on college campuses, promoted by taxpayer dollars, is a stain on U.S. higher education and must be stopped in its tracks,” Assemblyman Lawler said. “Not a nickel in federal funding should be going to any college or university that condones this discrimination, and the time for Congress to act is way overdue. The exclusion of Jewish speakers on campuses is painfully reminiscent of another time and place, and the U.S. must never go down that path. College is supposed to expose students to a variety of ideas and perspectives, not shut them down.”
