ZOA Applauds Trump for Invoking Title VI and Freezing $2 Billion in Federal Funds to Harvard Because of their Antisemitism

Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) National President Morton A. Klein released the following statement:

ZOA applauds President Trump and the U.S. Department of Education Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism for freezing $2.26 billion of federal grants (from our tax dollars) to Harvard University, after Harvard arrogantly refused to take steps outlined by the administration to end the dangerous antisemitism that is rife at Harvard. Trump is appropriately and legally invoking Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which requires stopping federal funds to universities who don’t protect Jews and other minorities from harassment and discrimination. As the DOE Task Force noted, Harvard’s refusal:

“reinforces the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges – that federal investment does not come with the responsibility to uphold civil rights laws. The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. The harassment of Jewish students is intolerable. It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support.”

Multiple complaints have been brought against Harvard for its failures to discipline antisemitic assaulters (even when the assault was recorded on video); and failures to take action against intolerable anti-Jewish mob riots; threats; calls for the death of Jews; takeovers of libraries, campus grounds and study halls; and persistent harassment and intimidation against Jewish students. Strong action – including deportations and defunding – to curb these horrors was long overdue.

Yet, appallingly, Reform (URJ, RAC, etc.), Conservative & Reconstructionist Jewish groups signed a letter by press secretary for extremist, anti-Israel J Street/current Jewish Council for Public Affairs Director Amy Spitalnick, “unequivocally condemning” and “rejecting” vital Trump administration policies and actions taken to curb antisemitism. The Spitalnick/URJ letter mislabels the Trump administration’s deportation, defunding and other efforts to curb antisemitism as “exploiting,” “taking advantage of” and “using the guise of fighting antisemitism” to interfere with the Hamas-supporters’ “rights.” (See “Non-Orthodox Movements Sign Letter Standing with Campus Hamas Supporters – The Final Betrayal,” by Daniel Greenfield, JNS, Apr. 17, 2025.)

The above-mentioned Jewish groups signing JCPA Spitalnick’s letter are seriously jeopardizing our Jewish students by opposing the Trump administration’s necessary steps to deport violent Islamic Hamas-supporters & Intifada (“kill all Jews”) supporters to pressure universities to finally take strong action against antisemites.

The Spitalnick/URJ etc. letter moreover piles onto almost identical twisted arguments by an echo chamber of the worst antisemitic, anti-Israel hate groups. Hate groups SJP (Students for Justice in Palestine) and JVP (the so-called “Jewish Voice for Peace”); and hostile-to-Israel groups such as J Street, New Israel Fund and Bend the Arc; and speakers and authors on media outlets including CNN and the Guardian have been regurgitating the same falsehood that antisemitism is being used as a “pretext” for controlling universities or denying Jew-haters’ rights. It’s simply a perverse argument to condemn President Trump and for allowing violent antisemitism and supporting radical Muslims and others to continue plaguing Jewish students.

From the outset, the Harvard administration allowed Jew-hatred to run rampant by infamously failing to respond when 34 Harvard student organizations solely blamed Israel for the October 7 massacre of innocent Jews carried out by Hamas, PIJ, Fatah (Palestinian Authority) terrorists and Gazan “civilians.” Harvard’s inaction led Senator Ted Cruz to then ask: “What the hell is wrong with Harvard?” That’s still a great question. What the heck is wrong with the groups and media who label concrete steps to stop antisemitism as “exploiting antisemitism” and “using antisemitism as a pretext”?

Antisemitism is the problem; it’s not a pretext.