Israel war: Josh Hawley urges DOJ investigation into pro-Palestinian student groups

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) is urging Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate the funding sources of pro-Palestinian student groups after the groups issued statements blaming Israel for recent terrorist attacks by Hamas.

In a Monday letter to Garland, Hawley noted that numerous student groups at schools such as Harvard, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Virginia had mobilized protests in support of Hamas and opposing Israel. Hamas launched a series of terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, and Israel has responded through a series of military actions in Gaza. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of more than 4,000 people, and Hamas is currently holding at least 200 hostages.

ISRAEL WAR: NEARLY 200 PEOPLE HELD HOSTAGE BY TERRORIST GROUPS IN GAZA

“In the wake of the brutal terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel, we have witnessed an alarming rise in support for violence against the Jewish people,” Hawley wrote. “Public reports indicate that several far-left student groups have lined up to effectively cheerlead Hamas’s genocidal war against the people of Israel.”

The statements and protests by the student groups have drawn widespread condemnation from various stakeholders of the universities. Some critics, such as billionaire Bill Ackman, asked Harvard to publish the names of the students who signed the statements so that they could be blacklisted from job opportunities.

The Missouri senator, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged Garland to investigate the funding sources of the student groups for any possible ties to Hamas, noting “there is a long and sordid history of supposedly independent ‘human rights’ groups operating within American borders, that possess longstanding ties to foreign terrorist organizations.”

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“Hamas, as you are well aware, is designated a terrorist organization pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. DOJ should deploy all appropriate authorities to investigate any potential links to organizations that operate within the United States,” the senator wrote.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice told the Washington Examiner that the agency had received the letter but would not comment further.