Rutgers President Will Testify Before Congress Regarding Gaza Protest

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Republicans in Congress demand Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway testify before Congress later this month to explain his handling of the pro-Palestine student protest on his campus last week.

Specifically, Republicans in Congress want Holloway to explain why he agreed to some of the students' requests.

Some of the eight requests Holloway agreed to include accepting 10 displaced Gazan students to study at Rutgers on a scholarship; opening an Arab Cultural Center at Rutgers (one does not currently exist); use the words "Palestine" and "Palestinians" in all future communications related to the Israel-Hamas war (as opposed to "Middle East" "Gaza region" etc.). and also to hire professors and administrators knowledgeable about Arabs, Palestinians and Muslims.

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, a Republican from North Carolina, called it "shocking" Holloway agreed to those requests.

“Over the last several days, the presidents of Northwestern and Rutgers have made shocking concessions to the unlawful antisemitic encampments on their campuses," said the Congresswoman. "They have surrendered to antisemitic radicals."

Foxx is the one who called Holloway to testify.

Rutgers confirmed that Holloway agreed to testify on May 23 in Washington, D.C. before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, which is chaired by Foxx. The president of Northwestern University and UCLA will also answer questions from Foxx on that day.

This is the same congressional committee that grilled the former presidents of Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania, both of whom resigned after their testimony.

There are two requests Holloway did not agree to: A request from students to kill a plan to open a Tel Aviv University satellite campus at Rutgers — Holloway said this week "We will not. Period." — and Holloway also did not agree to divest university funds from Israel, saying he personally "believes the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement is wrong. I think divestment from Israel is wrong."

As Patch reported Monday, here are all eight requests Holloway agreed to from Rutgers students: Rutgers Agrees To 8 Demands From Pro-Gaza Protesters

The four largest Jewish federations in New Jersey also called Holloway's agreement with the students "a shameful capitulation to the pro-Hamas encampment." Some Jewish donors are threatening to withhold donations to Rutgers.

Students first set up the tents Monday, April 29 at Rutgers, and in total there were about 60 tents in the heart of campus. By last Thursday, Holloway said the protest camp had become "unstable" and was "veering towards violence." He and other Rutgers leaders had a sit-down meeting with students, agreed to eight of their 10 demands and ordered students to clear out the tents by 4 p.m. Thursday, or else police would tear the tents down.

The students complied and removed the tents before the 4 p.m. deadline. Unlike at other colleges across the U.S., including at Princeton, where pro-Palestine students are now on Day 5 of a hunger strike, no students were arrested at Rutgers.

Holloway told the Rutgers Board of Governors Monday "I am confident in our decisions ... The result of our actions was a peaceful return to the normal course of business."

Rutgers Chancellor Francine Conway also defended Rutgers' handling of the protests, saying she hoped "Rutgers could be a model to the nation and the world."

Rutgers President: We Will Not Sever Tel Aviv University Deal (May 7)

Rutgers Agrees To 8 Demands From Pro-Gaza Protesters (May 6)