Legislation being introduced in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday aims to put terrorist supporters, including those backing Hamas and those who advocate violence against Jews, on the no-fly list.
The No Flights for Terrorists Act, introduced by Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), would add individuals to the Transportation Security Administration’s no-fly list if they have promoted violence against Jews, pledged support for terrorist groups, or have been disciplined by higher education institutions for such conduct. Terrorist organizations are designated as such by the Secretary of State and include Hamas, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Palestine Islamic Jihad, and the Palestine Liberation Front.
Currently, the no-fly list is a small subset of the terror watchlist that contains the information of known or suspected terrorists.
The bill, co-sponsored by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), comes after thousands of protesters have been arrested at colleges and universities in recent weeks, including the formation of an encampment at Columbia University on April 18. There have been numerous allegations of discrimination against Jewish students, with students expressing concerns about their safety and facing intimidation on campus. One student group from Columbia Law reportedly declared that no Jew is “safe” or “free” until “Palestine” is free.
Senator Marshall argued that professional agitators are able to promote terrorism on college campuses without facing consequences.
“Hamas terrorist sympathizers don’t just hate Israel, they hate America and everything we stand for. These Far-Left paid professional agitators are promoting terrorism with no fear of the consequences from this Administration and these University Presidents who are coddling them to safeguard their donor lists,” Marshall said in a statement. “These radical Marxists who are doing Hamas’ bidding across the country on college campuses, threatening the safety of our Jewish students and communities, should be treated the same way we treat the terrorist organizations they are pledging their support to and immediately be placed on the TSA No Fly List,” he added.
Senator Blackburn emphasized the unacceptable nature of terrorist sympathizers threatening the safety of Jewish students in the United States with little to no repercussions.
“When protesters chant ‘We are Hamas’ and carry around ‘Death to America’ posters, we should believe them. Any student, professor, or paid protester in America who promotes terrorism or engages in terrorist acts on behalf of Hamas should immediately be placed on the TSA No Fly List,” she said.
The proposed legislation will be filed as an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization currently moving through the Senate.
This bill follows the House’s recent vote to expand the legal definition of antisemitism used to enforce anti-discrimination laws. The Antisemitism Awareness Act, overwhelmingly passed by the House by a 320-91 vote, requires the Department of Education to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when enforcing anti-discrimination rules. If passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Biden, this bipartisan legislation aims to combat antisemitism and promote a more inclusive environment on college campuses.
