White House to take steps to curb 'alarming surge' in anti-semitism at US colleges

The White House said Monday it was taking steps to counter an "alarming" rise in anti-Semitic incidents at schools and colleges since the Israel-Hamas war broke out.

The husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, Douglas Emhoff, will host a meeting on Monday with leaders of major Jewish organizations, to discuss its action, a White House official said.

The official said the administration was "taking multiple actions to address the alarming rise of reported anti-Semitic incidents at schools and on college campuses, since the October 7th Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel."

US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and other officials will visit an educational institution and hold a roundtable with Jewish students later in the week, the official added.

The White House said the Justice and Homeland Security Departments had also been in touch with universities on the subject.

Emhoff, who is Jewish, has taken a leading role in President Joe Biden's administration in reaching out to the Jewish community in the United States over concerns about far-right activity and anti-Semitism.

Cornell University in New York state said police were investigating anti-Semitic threats made online against its Jewish community over the weekend.

The White House did not give figures for the rise in anti-Semitic incidents in schools and colleges, but the Middle East conflict has sparked angry debates on campuses.

At Harvard, Stanford and New York University (NYU), bitter clashes involving students, professors and administrators have blown up into viral debates on social media.

At Harvard, a statement signed by several student groups saying they "hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence" sparked an explosive response.

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