Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona sent a letter to college and university presidents on Friday condemning as “abhorrent” the antisemitic incidents being reported by Jewish students on campuses across the country.

Cardona’s email comes the day after President Joe Biden blasted the violent anti-Israel protests, encampments and building takeovers on multiple college campuses. Many Republicans criticized Biden for waiting so long to address the incidents, which required local law enforcement to restore order at multiple schools.

Cardona delivered another message from the administration Friday, writing that he remains “incredibly concerned about antisemitic hate directed at students on some campuses.”

His letter comes the same day that he met with Jewish leaders, CNN reported, Cardona’s first such meeting since Oct. 30.

“There is no place for violence on campus ever,” Cardona wrote. “I am particularly disturbed by the sharp rise in antisemitism targeting Jewish students on some college campuses,” going on to cite four incidents from Jewish students in recent days:

• Being physically assaulted or harassed while walking on campus, simply for being Jewish;
• Being subjected to virulently antisemitic statements, such as that Jewish students should “go back to Poland”;
• Being subjected to verbal abuse, such as while praying for the safety of hostages being held by Hamas;
• Coming back to their dorm rooms to find swastikas on their doors.

“These and other such incidents are abhorrent, period. They have no place on our college campuses,” he wrote.

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt told Newsmax on Thursday that hate speech has to be tolerated in a liberal democracy but what he witnessed firsthand on at least three campuses was beyond the pale.

“I’ve seen the physical force these protesters use while their faces are fully masked-up like they’re extras, you know, in an al-Qaida infomercial. I mean, it’s really inappropriate. It’s intended to intimidate and menace and … it’s just wrong,” Greenblatt said.

“As the 2023-24 school year comes to a close, I remain incredibly concerned about antisemitic hate directed at students on some campuses,” Cardona wrote.

More than 2,300 protesters have been arrested in at least 58 crackdowns at 44 different schools since April 18, the Associated Press reported Friday. Meanwhile, many schools transitioned to remote classes for the rest of the semester and others have canceled commencement ceremonies.

“People have a right to peacefully protest policies that they disagree with and, of course, to exercise their First Amendment rights. However, environments where students feel unsafe and experience discrimination on college campuses cannot be tolerated,” Cardona wrote.

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