During a tense hearing at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday, allegations of rising antisemitism on university campuses were put into stark relief, with focus drawn to incidents surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict. A University of Texas at Austin freshman, Levi Fox, delivered a harrowing account of a professor's alleged antisemitic remark to Fox and other Jewish students. As reported by KXAN, Fox claimed the professor said, "You’ll be the next ones they throw into the ovens." The student had not filed a formal complaint but promised to disclose the professor's identity privately to two state senators.
Amid the recent unrest, UT Austin student leaders expressed their fears to the Texas Senate Education Committee, recounting events that led them to remove religious symbols and avoid religious gatherings. According to a testimony broadcasted on YouTube, one student said, "Jewish students, taking off yarmulkes, or hiding their Stars of David ... or skipping Halal Shabbat because it's been a tough week, and I don't want to be seen walking into that building because it puts the target on my back." These words underscore a climate of fear that has permeated UT's campus, according to some students.
The hearing further discussed how Texas public colleges and universities are to commonly implement the state’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ban. Texas Sen. Brandon Creighton praised universities for maintaining safe campuses despite the protests. Stressing the gravity of the matter, Creighton described the activism as "an effort to intimidate Jewish students and faculty."
In contrast, Jewish graduate student Sam Law challenged these allegations, stating he has participated in the protests and attended a Shabbat service organized on campus. Law is among those still facing criminal trespass charges from arrests made during the protests. The chant "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" was discussed, with Courtney Toretto, a policy director from the Anti-Defamation League, informing senators this slogan could be seen as calling for the erasure of the Jewish state, as per her statement to KXAN.
Amidst the testimonies and disputes over protest conduct, the legislative session raised questions about the adequacy of education on the history of Judaism and the Holocaust. Whether more lessons need to be incorporated into schools is an issue Texas Sen. José Menéndez suggested might be worth exploring when the legislature reconvenes. As college campuses continue to wrestle with the balance between free speech and safety, the differing narratives from UT Austin point to a discussion far from resolved.
