First appearance on FOXAs hundreds of protesters descend on Washington, DC, to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s presence, one Republican lawmaker is fighting back with a bill that would ban student loan forgiveness for those convicted of hate crimes during anti-Israel student protests.
Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez has introduced the “No Anti-Semitic Student Loan Forgiveness Act,” which would bar students who have been convicted of hate crimes under state or federal law from being eligible for loan forgiveness.
The bill is not limited to anti-Semitism, but there has been a wave of protests targeting Israel in the last year since Hamas terror attacks there in October 2023. President Biden has repeatedly tried to forgive student loan debt for tens of millions of students, but this bill would ensure that it would not apply to anyone convicted of anti-Semitism.
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Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) has introduced the bill in the House of Representatives. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
dozens Anti-Israel protests Anti-Semitic protests have erupted at universities across the United States, with various elite institutions overwhelmed with anti-Semitic actions. Protesters at Columbia University and other colleges chanted, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a slogan that critics have denounced as anti-Semitic and that is also used by Hamas. The phrase is widely interpreted as calling for the destruction of the state of Israel and the elimination of the Jewish people, although its supporters often deny its meaning.
“Anti-Semites cannot be allowed to profit from hatred,” Jimenez said in a statement. “This bill would prevent anyone convicted of a state or federal hate crime from benefiting from loan forgiveness. There is no place for hate in our country, and therefore we must and will continue to stand with the U.S. and international Jewish communities.”
U.S. Capitol Police detain demonstrators protesting Israeli military policies, a day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, Tuesday, July 23, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The bill was introduced ahead of Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, which has sparked numerous protests. Capitol Police said about 200 people had been arrested on charges stemming from a sit-in protest at the Cannon House office building on Tuesday.
Others protested outside Netanyahu’s hotel, with much of their anger focused on U.S. support for Israel’s fight against Hamas, which has been backed by the United States despite divided support, particularly among Democrats. $95 billion in foreign aid In April’s economic package, the United States approved about $15 billion in military aid to Israel.
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“At a time when Israel is fighting on seven fronts and there is great political uncertainty in Washington, I leave this morning on a very important visit to the United States,” Netanyahu said ahead of his departure for the US on Monday.
“As Israel’s prime minister, I will address both houses of Congress for the fourth time. I will seek to solidify the bipartisan support that is so important to Israel and reassure our friends in both parties that Israel will remain America’s essential and strongest ally in the Middle East, regardless of who the American people choose as their next president.”
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Gimenez’s bill is not the only one aimed at fighting the protests. Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas introduced a bill on Wednesday that would revoke the immigration visas of foreign nationals convicted of participating in demonstrations.
Fox News’ Julia Johnson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
