Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, has written to President Joe Biden, requesting the deployment of the National Guard to safeguard Jewish American students at Columbia University amid ongoing protests. Hawley contends that Jewish students are presently at risk on college campuses, highlighting the cancellation of classes at Columbia during Passover due to protests he characterizes as “illegal pro-Hamas demonstrations.”
Hawley argues that Biden must “immediately mobilize the National Guard” and any other necessary authorities to ensure the safety of Jewish American students and citizens. He invokes Biden’s statement denouncing antisemitism and urges action to align with those words. Hawley draws parallels to President Dwight Eisenhower’s deployment of the National Guard to protect black students in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957, and appeals for similar action to safeguard Jewish students at Columbia and other at-risk campuses.
Hawley’s call for the deployment of the National Guard follows his earlier Senate floor speech urging Biden to take action. Last October, the Senate passed a resolution authored by Hawley condemning antisemitic student groups, after Democrats initially blocked its passage.
The White House has yet to respond to Hawley’s letter, according to The Daily Caller.
