Study: Campus Antisemitism Linked to Foreign Funds

The rise in antisemitism in colleges and universities in the U.S. was linked to $13 billion in undisclosed funds from foreign countries, according to a new study. 

Researchers for the study, "The Corruption of the American Mind," found that more than 100 schools failed to report the contributions, violating U.S. Department of Education  requirements. In addition, schools receiving money from donors in the Middle East had much higher instances of antisemitism, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The study, conducted by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and spearheaded by the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), found that contributions from Qatar topped the list, contributing $2.7 billion to American schools. That was followed by England, China, Saudi Arabia, Bermuda, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Switzerland, India, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates. 

"Institutions receiving such undocumented money, campuses receiving undocumented funds, exhibited approximately twice as many campaigns to silence academics as those that did not," the study says. "From 2015-2020, institutions that accepted money from Middle Eastern donors had on average 300% more antisemitic incidents than those institutions that did not."

The study's research included sources from the FBI's crime database and the Anti-Defamation League and said that free speech and democratic norms are "under siege" at U.S. colleges and universities.

Further, the researchers noted that the influx of funds has doubled campaigns against free speech at schools but also heightened students' exposure to anti-Zionist and antisemitic rhetoric. 

"Increased campaigns to punish scholars for their speech were associated with increased levels of such campaigns from both the Left and the Right," the study said.

Meanwhile, a national survey of college students, conducted as part of the study, showed people who attend universities where undocumented funding has been reported said they report experiencing more antisemitism on campus.

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