American Jewish Committee Speaks Out On Trump’s Funding Cuts

The American Jewish Committee declared Tuesday that while there is still work to be done when it comes to addressing the recent rise in campus antisemitism, the answer is not dramatic cuts to universities’ federal funding. 

“Funding cuts or freezes are essential tools of last resort when addressing discrimination in federally funded programs,” the statement said. “All efforts to remedy problems in educational institutions—including those to rectify antisemitism—must be plainly understood, publicly transparent, and specifically targeted to address the problem.”

Comments from AJC came just four days after the Trump administration announced it would pull $510 million in federal contracts and grants from Brown University. Brown was the latest of five universities to face or be threatened with such a consequence. Others include Columbia, Penn, Harvard and Princeton.  

The religious and cultural advocacy group argued that the best way to respond to and prevent antisemitism on college campuses is to establish clear guardrails and protest policies, and to promote healthy constructive dialogue—not “curtail the autonomy and academic freedom of higher education institutions.”

“The broad, sweeping, and devastating cuts in federal funding that a growing number of American research universities have been subjected to in recent weeks, under the auspices of combating antisemitism, will damage America’s standing as a center of innovation and research excellence,” the statement said.

AJC said it will continue to work closely with college administrators and members of the Trump staff who uphold “a sincere commitment” to addressing antisemitism.