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Jewish student vets denied freedom they fought to protect, congressman says

The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee chair is concerned by Jew-hatred’s impact on campus.

Rep. Mike Bost speaks alongside Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Southern Illinois Airport in Murphysboro, Oct. 27, 2022. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images.
Rep. Mike Bost speaks alongside Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Southern Illinois Airport in Murphysboro, Oct. 27, 2022. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images.

Eight decades after the G.I. Bill passed in 1944, veterans are “being denied the very religious freedoms on college campuses they fought to protect,” Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), chair for the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, wrote to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the governors of California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan and North Carolina.

The protections against bias in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 “ensure that the G.I. Bill is available to all veterans, including religious and racial minorities, to ensure that every veteran has access to the education they have earned, on a college campus that is a welcoming place for all,” Bost wrote to the secretary, Denis McDonough.

“Protests and rioting on campuses against the State of Israel and the Jewish race have spiraled out of control on many campuses that are receiving millions of dollars in federal funding through the G.I. Bill,” he added. “Please tell me what V.A. is doing to ensure that schools that are approved to participate in the G.I. Bill are protecting the rights of Jewish veterans to attend classes and enjoy campus life in a safe environment, free from harassment and discrimination.”

Law enforcement thanked the general public for help finding the man in question just one day after the incident.
It comes as the Israeli Foreign Ministry claimed that the paper published a “shameful attack” on the Jewish state before the release of a report on sexual violence on Oct. 7.
“Jewish New Yorkers constitute a minority of New Yorkers across the five boroughs and yet constitute a majority of New Yorkers who face hate crimes in this city,” the New York City mayor said.
“These disturbing incidents further reinforce the importance of clear and transparent safe-access policies,” said Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.
“Let’s stand together for public safety, common sense and the future of our city,” Michael Novakhov, a Brooklyn representative, said.
“Since our nation’s founding 250 years ago, Jewish people have played an important role in America’s story,” the statement issued by the Republican Governors Association read.