Poll: Majority of Americans support defunding universities that tolerate antisemitism on campus

Two in three U.S. adults and over half of college students support cutting federal funding and contracts to universities that do not protect Jewish students, according to a new survey.

The nationwide poll of 1,000 adults and 450 college students, conducted by the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC), found 66% of adults and 56% of college students support the defunding of universities that tolerate antisemitic behavior and the harassment of Jewish students on university campuses. Additionally, 54% of adults and 40% of college students support the deportation of individuals such as Mahmoud Khalil, the anti-Israel activist at Columbia University.

In March, the Trump administration announced the cancellation of $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University “due to the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.” 

More recently, the White House has set its sights on Harvard University, with the Department of Education announcing in mid-April that it was freezing $2.2 billion in federal funding over the elite university’s “egregious record of antisemitism” and other bias. 

Similarly, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced her agency was terminating two grants to Harvard worth $2.7 million, saying the university is “unfit” to be entrusted with tax dollars. “Harvard bending the knee to antisemitism – driven by its spineless leadership – fuels a cesspool of extremist riots and threatens our national security,” said Noem. “With anti-American, pro-Hamas ideology poisoning its campus and classrooms, Harvard’s position as a top institution of higher learning is a distant memory.” 

The ICC survey also found 83% of Americans support Israel’s military action against Hamas in its effort to rescue hostages, compel negotiations with Hamas and dismantle the terrorist group. Additionally, 65% of U.S. adults consider Israel’s military efforts in Gaza a justified response to Hamas’ refusal to release the hostages as well as the terror group’s continued aggression against Israel. 

“The American public has sent a clear message: universities must be held accountable for failing to protect Jewish students from discrimination and harassment,” said ICC CEO Jacob Baime. “Amid a rising crisis of antisemitism, too many academic institutions have neglected their duty. These findings signal that administrators must act decisively to ensure a safe, inclusive environment for Jewish students.” 

In early April, two Republican U.S. representatives from New York, Elise Stefanik and Nicole Malliotakis, introduced legislation to address the problem of antisemitism on college campuses. Entitled the University Accountability Act, the measure would penalize universities that fail to crack down on antisemitism and protect Jewish and pro-Israel students. 

“Universities have a responsibility to protect their students from violence and discrimination,” said Rep. Malliotakis of the legislation. “But instead we’re seeing a disturbing increase in antisemitic attacks and rhetoric on college campuses. Our legislation seeks to hold these institutions accountable and encourage them to investigate and crack down on instances of antisemitism to help foster a safer academic environment for all students, regardless of their gender, race, or religion.”