During the House hearings on campus antisemitism on Tuesday, Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), asked a very pointed and appropriate question of Robert Groves, the interim president of Georgetown University.
Burgess wanted to know if the KKK was allowed to speak on campus at Georgetown, noting that the rhetoric of that notorious group is not much different than what we often hear coming from the “Free Palestine” mob.
Georgetown came under fire in May over a grad student who praised Hamas. In June, a professor at the school had to walk back an inflammatory remark about wanting Iran to perform a “symbolic” strike on a U.S. base.
Part of the dialogue between Owens and Groves is included in the tweet below. Expanded, it reads:
Burgess Owens Calls Out Georgetown’s Double Standard on Hate Speech@RepBurgessOwens confronted Georgetown President Robert Groves with a simple, pointed question:“Would you allow a member of the KKK who wished the deaths of Black Americans to speak at Georgetown?”“No.”Owens didn’t let up: “So if Georgetown would disallow white supremacist bigots, why does it allow Palestinian antisemitic bigots invited by faculty or students?”Groves had no real answer—just vague talk about diverse viewpoints.The point was clear: Hate speech targeting Black Americans would never be tolerated at Georgetown—yet Palestinian activists who glorify terrorism and spew antisemitic hate continue to get institutional platforms.One standard for some, another for Jews.
Watch the exchange:
In this longer video, you can hear the full line of questioning that led to the big question above.
Before Owens could even begin his line of questioning, an anti-Israel protester could be heard screaming in the chamber.
From the Georgetown Voice:
Four separate attendees interrupt committee sessionThe hearing paused four times after attendees interrupted by entering the room and shouting. Members of staff quickly removed the protestors. One of the attendees directly addressed CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez.“Félix Matos, you have blood on your hands. How can you sit there talking about the feelings of Jewish students, when there are no universities left in Gaza?” the speaker said. “There’s blood on your hands. You are a genocidal war criminal.”
Owens offered a perfect response to this. Watch:
Featured image via YouTube.
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