President’s move to target campus antisemitism may or may not be genuine, but the costs are too high

To the editor: To anyone who believes the Trump administration is interested in eradicating antisemitism on college campuses, remember this: After the white supremacists protesting in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017 chanted, “Jews will not replace us,” President Trump remarked that there are “some very fine people on both sides.”

This so-called effort to combat antisemitism is a smokescreen (“Trump court action accuses UCLA of trying to ‘evade responsibility’ for alleged antisemitism,” March 18). It’s an effort to not only limit campus free speech, but also, and especially, to cut off federal funds to universities for specious reasons.

The former chancellor of UCLA is Jewish and Jewish professors are totally against this disingenuous, destructive, anti-democratic, repressive and punitive policy. It’s all about closing down the traditional campus openness of free speech and the right to demonstrate in order to control what goes on at a university. It’s no doubt a violation of the Constitution. It is not about attacking antisemitism.

Richard Z. Fond, Sherman Oaks

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To the editor: If there is one redeeming quality of the Trump administration, it is the crackdown on antisemitism on college campuses. The colleges did nothing until the administration forced the issue. According to the L.A. Times article, UCLA staff members were involved in helping to set up barricades. These staffers are paid by the state and have no business being involved in the chaos on campus.

Neil Snow, Manhattan Beach

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To the editor: As a Jewish American whose father fought against the Nazis, I take antisemitism very seriously and will combat it whenever and wherever I find it — that includes Hamas and certain factions of the American pro-Palestinian movement.

That does not mean, however, that I support Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s anti-humanitarian bombing campaign or the U.S. administration using antisemitism as an excuse to cut funding from Columbia University and other institutions that teach the truth about Trump and his Republican cronies.

Alan Schuchman, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Trump’s pathetic intolerance has predictably come to a dangerous place. A college campus is designed for shedding light on antisemitism and other core issues. Along with that light sometimes comes heat, as part of the process. But I believe to my core that out of the crucible also comes learning and wisdom manifested in compromise and peace. I feel for all my colleagues in higher education facing this manifest level of malevolent ignorance from anyone who purports to call himself a leader. It’s truly sickening.

Vance Peterson, Altadena