Florida public universities to check if classes are anti-Semitic or anti-Israel
The schools were told to ‘review relevant course resources such as textbooks and test banks for either antisemitic material and/or anti-Israeli bias before the beginning of fall semester.’
This is not the only measure Florida has taken to crack down on anti-Semitism. The University of Florida previously suspended students who were arrested at a disruptive protest against the Jewish State.
Florida’s State University System has directed state universities to verify if some classes promote anti-Semitism or hostility to Israel.
On Aug. 2, Ray Rodrigues, the chancellor of the State University System, wrote an email to university presidents in the UF system to follow up on a July 29 call.
During the July call, the university leaders were asked to verify if faculty committees at their respective schools could “review relevant course resources such as textbooks and test banks for either antisemitic material and/or anti-Israeli bias before the beginning of fall semester.”
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The course review would specifically focus on classes on “terrorism, Middle Eastern studies, religion, and government.”
In his follow up email, Rodrigues wrote that the universities should conduct reviews to “flag all instances of either antisemitism or anti-Israeli bias identified, and report that information to my office.”
University workers were asked to search for keywords such as “Israel,” “Palestine,” “Middle East,” “Zionism,” and “Judaism” in course materials.
The review of courses is not the only means that Florida is pursuing to crack down on anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias on its campuses.
In July, the University of Florida suspended several students who were arrested during disruptive anti-Israel demonstrators on April 29. A spokesperson for the school said: “This is not complicated. The University of Florida is not a daycare, and we do not treat protesters like children — they knew the rules, they broke the rules, and they’ll face the consequences.”
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In May, former UF President Ben Sasse also expressed his support for the school’s Jewish student population at a time of widespread anti-Israel protests throughout the U.S.: “UF is proud to be home to the most Jewish students anywhere in the country. This is the most Jewish university in the country, and it is great to be a Jewish Gator. I want all of our students to feel safe.”
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, and the University of South Florida for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
