Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway is set to testify before the U.S. House Committee on Education & the Workforce on May 23, 2024. Joining him will be Michael Schill, President of Northwestern University, and Gene Block, Chancellor of the University of California, Los Angeles. The committee is investigating how antisemitism is being handled on college campuses in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. This hearing follows a contentious hearing that led to the resignations of former Penn President Liz Magill and former Harvard President Claudine Gay, amid bipartisan backlash.
Holloway was chosen less than three weeks after Rutgers negotiated a deal with students protesting Israeli-related university investments, which prompted thousands of disapproving emails. Holloway defended the agreement, which included reviewing financial policies tied to Israel, meeting with students, establishing an Arab Cultural Center, and training staff against anti-Arab racism.
Simultaneously, UC Irvine witnessed a clash between police and pro-Palestinian protesters. This prompted a mutual aid call involving multiple law enforcement agencies and criticisms from Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill towards Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan. The campus protests on May 15, 2024, resulted in 50 arrests and led to a temporary shift to online classes. Protesters had occupied a lecture hall and erected barricades, demanding the university divest from companies with ties to Israel. Police actions included dismantling these barriers with nonlethal projectiles.