Hinson backs Anti-Semitism Awareness Act

WASHINGTON — North-central Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says the anti-semitic demonstrations on college campuses need to stop.

“As a former journalist, I do believe in protecting free speech, including speech I strongly disagree with, but I don’t believe in protecting hate speech,” Hinson says.

Hinson voted to support the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act passed by the House earlier this week. This bill requires the Department of Education to adopt the international Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism,” Hinson says. “This will provide a consistent basis for the Department of Education, schools, colleges and universities to police this anti-Semitic discrimination and harassment.”

Hinson says the federal government must also withhold funding from those schools which fail to protect Jewish students on campus. “If these universities don’t feel morally compelled to protect Jewish students from intimidation and discrimination maybe losing some funding will force them to do the right thing,” she says.

Hinson also says they should revoke the visas of foreign students who are supporting Hamas, threatening Jewish students, violating school policy, or breaking the law. “Enough is enough there is no gray area here only right or wrong,” Hinson says.

Hinson says the people who pushed back on the bill are the same ones who are pushing anti-Semitism. She made her comments during her weekly conference call with reporters.