A troubling spate of campus harassment and a new national survey show antisemitism rising on college campuses, with violent incidents, hard numbers, and official reactions laying bare a growing problem affecting Jewish students and pro-Israel voices.

Last week at Toronto Metropolitan University, a gathering that included Israeli Defense Forces veterans was attacked by a pro-Hamas mob, leaving several people injured and Jewish students shaken. The event had to be held off campus after university officials would not allow it on school property, and tensions boiled over when protesters tried to force their way in. Witnesses reported chaotic scenes and physical confrontations that required police intervention to restore order.

The presence of IDF speakers reportedly triggered the violent response, and organizers say the protestors targeted attendees because of their backgrounds and views. The crowd reportedly surrounded and assaulted individuals, creating a frightening atmosphere for anyone associated with the event. Community members and observers called out the university for failing to provide a safe forum for dialogue.

A former IDF soldier named Jonathan stepped in to protect people inside the building, physically removing several attackers until police arrived. Eyewitnesses credit his intervention with preventing further harm and helping vulnerable students escape the mob. His actions drew attention to the personal risk some attendees faced that afternoon.

Several people were hurt in the melee, and one attendee named Sam, a Jewish student, was among those taken to the hospital after being assaulted and harassed. Her experience has become a focal point in discussions about campus safety and the rise of antisemitic incidents in North America. Families and student groups are demanding better protections for minority and religious students on campus.

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On November 5, Sam, a Jewish student, came to an event to hear from IDF soldiers. It was meant to be a peaceful afternoon of open dialogue and understanding. What was supposed to be a calm gathering turned into a nightmare when Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP TMU) stormed the building. They surrounded her, screamed at her, and physically and verbally attacked her. As she was being transported to the hospital, these terrorist students followed her. Sam was left bruised, terrified, and traumatized, targeted solely because she is Jewish. In her own words, ‘No student anywhere for any reason should experience this pain and hate.’This was not activism. This was antisemitism. Sam stood for peace and for unity among Israelis and Palestinians, and for that, she was hospitalized. No student should ever have to fear for their life in Canada. What happened to her is pure hate.

The CBC reported that five people were arrested in connection with the disturbance, and authorities are reviewing the events and any criminal charges. Campus leaders and local officials are facing questions about how the situation escalated and why safety measures failed those who were attending. Community groups are pressing for clearer standards and enforcement to prevent repeats of this type of violence.

Across the United States, the Israel on Campus Coalition has released a new poll that paints a grim picture: college antisemitism is rising while support for Israel has fallen to historic lows. “A new national survey by Schoen Cooperman Research, commissioned by the Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC), paints a stark picture of escalating antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment on U.S. college campuses two years after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks. The poll of 500 college students, conducted October 15 – 21, 2025, shows negative perceptions of Israel intensifying sharply, with a majority of respondents reporting increased antisemitism at their institutions.”

The survey’s topline numbers are alarming: 54 percent of students say “antisemitism on campus has increased since the Israel-Hamas war began,” and 55 percent support the pro-Palestinian protests even as many report those protests fuel rising antisemitism. The poll finds 54 percent believe Israel commits war crimes, up from 43 percent in 2023, and 70 percent oppose Israel’s conduct in Gaza while only 25 percent say the war was justified after the October 7 terror attacks. These shifts reflect a broader change in campus climate and opinion.

Israel’s unfavorability climbed to 53 percent in the survey, and 45 percent of students agreed that anti-Israel protests during a ceasefire are “antisemitic rather than legitimate political expression.” Jacob Baime, CEO of the ICC, said, “This data lays bare the daily reality for Jewish students: more than half (54%) of college students now say antisemitism on campus has increased since the October 7 massacre, confirming that campuses have grown profoundly hostile to anyone who is Jewish or pro-Israel.”

Carly Cooperman, CEO of Schoen Cooperman Research, added, “College students hold deeply negative views of Israel, with attitudes having worsened over the last two years. While a majority of college students supported Israel’s original goals in Gaza, they broadly oppose Israel’s conduct there – and in turn, are highly unfavorable toward Israel itself.”

Observers point to outside money and influence as a contributor to these campus trends, including funding that shifts narratives and sponsorship of events that normalize extremist positions. At least one high-profile campus event hosted a former media executive who praised the October 7 attacks, saying the attacks “came at the perfect moment for a radical and real shift in the path of struggle and liberation.” That kind of rhetoric on or tied to campuses raises real concerns about where boundaries lie between debate and endorsement.

The Trump administration moved to hold universities accountable, including actions that affected funding for institutions seen as tolerant of antisemitic harassment, and the Department of Education launched Title VI reviews of several campuses. Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said, “Too many universities have tolerated widespread antisemitic harassment and the illegal encampments that paralyzed campus life last year, driving Jewish life and religious expression underground. The Biden Administration’s toothless resolution agreements did shamefully little to hold those institutions accountable.” That federal scrutiny signals the seriousness of the pattern.

On November 4, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon spoke at an American Jewish Committee event and vowed to continue the administration’s “zero-tolerance policy” for religious discrimination. Local and federal civil rights offices now have a high-profile mandate to investigate complaints and pursue remedies where campuses fail to protect students. The work ahead will test whether institutions can restore safe spaces for free expression and religious life.

Editor’s Note: After more than 40 days of screwing Americans, a few Dems have finally caved. The Schumer Shutdown was never about principle—just inflicting pain for political points.