In a turbulent political moment, when fear is currency and higher education is a recurring target, the launch of a federal antisemitism task force might sound like a well-intentioned intervention.

But behind the language of protection is a familiar playbook. President Donald Trump’s effort isn’t about safeguarding Jewish students − it’s about leveraging their identity to dismantle the institutions that challenge his politics.

Trump's targeting of elite universities like Harvard isn’t about protecting Jewish students. It’s a political weapon − one that exploits rising concerns over antisemitism to advance a broader campaign against higher education.

By using Jewish identity as justification, it doesn’t just miss the mark − it risks deepening the very problem it claims to solve.

At first glance, the effort sounds principled: Identify and address antisemitism on college campuses. But the initiative isn’t grounded in a sincere attempt to understand or confront antisemitism in all its forms. It narrowly focuses on speech critical of Israeli policy, often conflating pro-Palestinian protest or advocacy with antisemitic hate.

Meanwhile, it ignores antisemitism from the political right, including conspiracy theories, violent rhetoric and explicit........

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