Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a series of new guidelines Tuesday for Jewish students that will make it easier for them to transfer to Florida state colleges amid rising antisemitic tensions on campuses nationwide.
Antisemitism spiked on college campuses following the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, and multiple student groups on college campuses have used violent antisemitic slogans and/or imagery in protest of Israel’s retaliation to the attacks. DeSantis announced several moves to assist Jewish students who want to leave their universities, including waiving credit hour requirements for transfer applications and waiving application windows for transfers. (RELATED: University Of Michigan’s Spending On ‘Diversity’ Grew 66% In Just One Year)
“With leaders of so-called elite universities enabling antisemitic activities, rather than protecting their students from threats and harassment, it is understandable that many Jewish students are looking for alternatives and looking to Florida,” Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a Tuesday press release. “Throughout my tenure as Governor, we have implemented measures to safeguard our Jewish communities from hatred in the K–20 school system, and with this announcement, we want to again make it clear that Jewish students are welcome to live and learn in Florida where they will be respected and not persecuted due to their faith.”
DES MOINES, IOWA – JANUARY 09: Republican presidential candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis listens as Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) speaks with reporters at a media center in a Sheraton Hotel on January 09, 2024 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
DeSantis coordinated with State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues and Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. to create the guidelines, according to the press release. He also urged universities to use existing authority to grant out-of-state tuition waivers on a case-by-case basis for students who may have financial hardships when transferring.
Several elite colleges created antisemitism taskforces following a rise in antisemitism on campus including Harvard University, Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. Multiple student groups put out pro-Palestinian statements in response to the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel.
DeSantis did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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