Report shows connection between rising antisemitism on US college campuses and undisclosed donations

A new report issued by the Network Contagion Research Institute shows a connection between billions of dollars in undisclosed donations to U.S. colleges – much of it from authoritarian Middle Eastern countries – and a rise in antisemitic incidents.

A team of researchers from several universities contributed to the NCRI report, having obtained their information from the FBI and the U.S. Department of Education.

According to the study, schools that received donations from Middle Eastern nations such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia but did not disclose them "had on average, 300% more antisemitic incidents than those institutions that did not."

"A massive influx of foreign, concealed donations to American institutions of higher learning, much of it from authoritarian regimes with notable support from Middle Eastern sources, reflects or supports heightened levels of intolerance towards Jews, open inquiry, and free expression," the report stated.

The NCRI also revealed that “over 200 American colleges and universities illegally withheld information on approximately $13 billion in undocumented contributions from foreign governments, many of which are authoritarian.”

Colleges are required by Federal law to declare donations from foreign governments to the Department of Education.

Among the colleges that received the largest share of undisclosed foreign donations, Harvard University, Cornell University and Georgetown University topped the list, all of which have been featured in national headlines for showing pro-Hamas support since the Oct. 7 brutal terror attacks on Israel.

"This report raises the sobering possibility that international actors are using undisclosed channels to funnel large amounts of money into college campuses (including elite institutions that often have outsized influence on American culture and politics) for purposes harmful to the democratic norms of pluralism, tolerance, and freedom," the NCRI report stated.

"There clearly has been an erosion of democratic norms on campuses....These developments are surely complex and multiply determined. One possibility, however, is that receipt of undocumented funding from foreign sources, especially authoritarian ones, has contributed to these developments."

Qatar was the largest donor, supplying $2.7 billion in undisclosed funds.

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce passed a bill on Wednesday to lower the reporting thresholds for foreign donations, according to the Jewish News Syndicate. 

The bill was co-sponsored by Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) and passed with a bipartisan 27-11 vote.

“Qatar, one of the most vocal pro-Hamas, antisemitic countries in the world, has given over $1 billion dollars to U.S. universities from 2011 to 2016,” Steel said. 

The bill “is designed to increase transparency and accountability to ensure these universities follow the law in reporting these ‘donations.’”