Elise Stefanik did not plan in advance the pointed question she posed to the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and UPenn five months ago. It was just another routine hearing in the US Congress, dozens of which occur every day. But those three minutes have already been etched into the pages of American history.
"I want to take you to those moments," the New York Congresswoman recounted this week at a meeting with lawmakers in the Knesset. "It was the last question in the hearing. I had already had my turn to ask earlier, but I felt the presidents were going around in circles, and I wasn't getting a direct answer. The young congresswoman participating in the discussion gave me her remaining three minutes, and I thought to myself: How can I ask in a way that will be morally clear, so that they will be forced to answer correctly. And then, just as the moment arrived, I wrote in pencil, 'Does calling for the genocide of Jewish people violate your university's code of conduct on bullying and harassment – yes or no?'. One by one, they answered that 'it depends on the context.' The whole world heard that answer, but let me tell you – it does not depend on the context!"
And indeed, the whole world, literally – saw the women who are supposed to represent the vanguard of American progressivism condoning clear calls for the destruction of the Jews. At least a billion known views have been documented so far of that fierce confrontation on social media, and who knows how many through other means. The shockwaves from the clash brought about the resignations of Claudine Gay, president of Harvard University, and Liz Magill, president of the University of Pennsylvania, within a few weeks.
The prestigious institutions also lost donors and donations in huge amounts and experienced a decline in applications. They are still subjected to very harsh criticism for both their silence in the face of verbal and physical attacks on Jews and supporters of Israel, as well as the pro-Hamas protest riots on campuses that followed. The American political system, as well as Jewish organizations, are turning the spotlight and pressure toward clearing the campuses of naked anti-Israel hatred. Stefanik, who is already credited with igniting the clash, pledges in this exclusive interview with Israel Hayom that this is only the beginning.
We met on Monday morning at the David Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem, a few minutes before she left for a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She then traveled for the first time to see the remnants of Hamas' horrendous attacks on the border towns. "I am heartbroken for the families who faced unimaginable loss at the hands of the heinous, barbaric Hamas terrorists.," she wrote on social media following the tour of Be'eri and the Nova rave massacre's site.
Video: Elise Stefanik speaks with Israel Hayom
Stefanik, only 39 years old, is already closing in on a decade as a Republican member of the House of Representatives, representing New York's 21st Congressional District. Her visit to Israel aroused great interest also because she has a high chance of being Donald Trump's running mate and becoming vice president if he wins the November elections. She made it onto this prestigious list thanks to the campus video, which drew attention to her.
Q: I can tell you that many Israelis are following you closely and talking about you as an option to be President Trump's running mate. I'm obviously not the one making the offer, but what do you think about such a possibility?
"Well, I'm doing everything I can every day to save America by supporting President Trump. I'm proud to be one of his strongest allies in the US Congress. I was the first member to endorse his candidacy for 2024, and he's in the strongest position ever in terms of saving our country and standing up for American strength around the world and so many issues that are important to the American people. And again, we're here in Israel at a very historic and important time, and it's very important to return to the effective policies of President Trump. So I am honored that my name is being discussed (for VP), but I will do everything I can, no matter how that works out, to making sure that we elect President Trump, that we have a Republican House, and flip the Senate to Republican leadership in the Senate."
Q: According to the polls, it looks like Trump is set to win. At this point, are you confident that he will succeed in November?
"The polls have never been better for President Trump. He's winning in some cases by double digits in key swing states… It's interesting I look at all those swing House district polls across the country since I am a member of Congress, and in every single House district poll, Trump is pulling ahead of Joe Biden. Some of these districts are where Joe Biden outperformed Trump in 2020, that shows just how much President Trump has gained momentum. He has historic support among Hispanic voters, African American voters, and among Jewish voters as well, and he's winning independent voters in our country. So we're going to work very hard every day. I never take elections for granted. We always run like we're 10 points behind, but in this case, President Trump's polling is polling very, very strongly."
Synagogue, Shabbat, Ketubah
In the exclusive interview, Trump gave Israel Hayom about a month ago, he committed that his running mate would be a supporter of Israel. On this definition, Stefanik scores over 100 percent. "I grew up in upstate New York. I attended an all-girls day school right next to a synagogue. I was a guest in many homes for Shabbat meals. I attended b'nai mitzvah celebrations of friends, celebrated the births of their children with them including baby namings and britot, and signed a ketubah at a friends' wedding. My love for the Jewish people and the State of Israel has been deep my entire life. I've visited here many times, even before being elected to Congress," she said. This commitment to Israel is certainly reflected in her position.
Q: We know Iran is behind the war against Israel. In your view, what should American policy toward Tehran be?
"We need to return to the effective policies of President Trump, the maximum pressure sanctions campaign; they were very effective at countering Iran's malign influence in the region..let's take a step back. We're here in Israel 227 days after the deadliest attack since the Holocaust by an Iranian proxy in Hamas, who threatens Israel's very right to exist. The American people understand that we need to stand with Israel and do everything we can to increase the sanctions on Iran. And that's, frankly, not what we're seeing from the Biden administration, who gave six billion dollars of ransom to Iran. And Iran is the greatest sponsor of world terror… We're here in Israel 227 days since the deadliest attacks since the Holocaust, by Iranian proxy in Hamas, who threatens Israel's very right to exist. So I believe that's one of the reasons why President Trump is going to win this November because the American people understand that we need to stand with Israel and do everything we can to increase the sanctions on Iran."
Q: Specifically on Iran's nuclear program - for many years, many US administrations have imposed sanctions, including Trump, as you mentioned, but it's not enough, and Iran is very close to achieving a bomb. Trump told us in the interview that it's a matter of three weeks before Iran gets the bomb. If so, hasn't the time come for the US, with Israel and perhaps other partners, to use military force against Iran? Otherwise, they may get the bomb.
"This was one of the most important actions by the Trump administration when they left the catastrophic Obama-negotiated JCPOA that paved the way for Iran to achieve nuclear weapons capability. We need to do everything we can to ensure Iran never has nuclear weapons capability. Israel is our strongest ally in the region. And again, as American voters are looking to the polls this November, they see the strength of the Trump administration when it comes to countering Iran and, holding them accountable, and ensuring we take all actions and steps necessary to ensure that they're not able to achieve nuclear weapons capability.
"Yet you have the Biden administration, which is doing everything they can to continue the Obama 2.0. You know, my position has always been every option is on the table for an American president. But the difference between Joe Biden and President Trump is Joe Biden is the weakest American president. Certainly, in my lifetime. President Trump is the strongest American president when it comes to so many issues, but particularly national security. And Prime Minister Netanyahu talked about how President Trump was the strongest and best friend of Israel of every American president."
No excuses
A few weeks ago, Israel decided to act in Rafah despite American pressure, and in response, the president moved to delay arms shipments to Israel. This move sparked a lot of anger in the Israeli public.
Q: If Trump really wins the elections in November, what would be his policy regarding Israel, the war, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, all together? What would he tell Netanyahu as the Israeli Prime Minister if he becomes president?
"Well, first of all, look at President Trump's record in terms of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, the historic Abraham Accords, the biggest breakthrough for peace normalization in 25 years, as well as moving Israel to US Central Command allowing the planning which was so critical to combating the Iranian strike against Israel with the hundreds of missiles that were sent. We know that President Trump has a strong effort when it comes to our support for Israel. And there is a stark difference. Look at Joe Biden's statement to withhold military aid that the US Congress passed overwhelmingly…
"I was one of the leaders in Congress to ensure that that aid was sent to the president's desk… There is no excuse for any American president to withhold that aid to our most precious ally in the region, under President Trump that would have never happened. And around the world, you would see a strong American president, you would not have had the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan, you would not have had Putin's invasion of Ukraine, and I believe you would not have had Hamas' attack against Israel because they understand that the American people and that the United States of America will show strength around the world. So, certainly, national security issues are on the American people's minds. And it's in stark contrast to the weakness we've seen from Joe Biden."
Q: What do you think about President Biden not allowing entry into Rafah and not wanting, for example, Israel to encourage emigration from the Gaza Strip to other places in the world?
"Israel needs all the operational flexibility to eradicate Hamas. This is a just war; it was Hamas that committed terrorist atrocities against the Israeli people. So this moral equivocation, this equivocation on policy from the Biden administration, there is no room for it…And I'm here in Israel to send a message that the American people stand strongly with Israel to eradicate Hamas to protect Israel's right to exist, to protect the national security of Israel."
Through the wallet and visa
As mentioned, Stefanik rose to fame and became a household name after she waged an all-out war against antisemitism on American campuses, which were flooded by a wave of support for Hamas.
Q: I wonder - how did we get to a point where it is legitimate, in the halls of institutions of the American academia, to call for the genocide of Jewish people and even to physically attack Jews and supporters of Israel?
"I asked myself that question because I graduated from Harvard, and it was not like that when I was an undergraduate. There has been a slippage of academic standards and a catastrophic failure of moral leadership that was on full display in the university presidents' failure to condemn the October 7 terrorist attacks against Israel and To show moral equivocation, and that was never more clear than when I asked the very simple moral question. Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate your university's code of conduct? I asked that moral question, expecting a yes answer. And I was astonished when MIT Penn and Harvard said it depends on the context. I think there are a number of policy proposals that we need to seriously consider to rein in."
Q: Such as?
Like taxpayer funding. Each of these universities relies on nearly a billion dollars of US taxpayer funding. No US taxpayer dollars should go to prop up antisemitism, we need to also ensure that Title VI protections according to the Department of Education, this was President Trump's executive order, including protections for Jewish students, though needs to be fully enforced. The Biden administration is not doing that. Congress is going to assert our role to ensure that those are fully enforced.
Additionally, the student visa in many cases, these pro-Hamas encampments on these college campuses are individuals who are not US citizens. They rely on student visas, if they are not pro Hamas encampments, or are committing antisemitic assaults, they need to be deported immediately, so there are a number of policy provisions we are looking at. We have also expanded the investigation…and, as I said, the visa issue. And the most important piece of this is the foreign funding aspect, you have foreign funds form countries like Qatar who are going to these Middle East Studies programs propping up antisemitic professors and curricula, there needs to be more accountability and not allow that type of foreign funding.
Q: You argued in the Knesset that these calls for Hamas and against Israel do not represent America, but we did see thousands at encampments on campuses and protests across America, and there are professors and doctors. When there is such large support for these genocidal calls against Jews, Israel, and Zionists, perhaps America is changing for the worse.
"America's support for Israel is unequivocal from the people, and I'll give you an example from constituents in my district (in New York). You ask the same question to a farmer, the small business owner, and the suburban mom, and they will answer it correctly, saying yes, calling for the genocide of Jewish people violates universities' codes of conduct regarding harassment and bullying. This is a failure of leadership at those institutions that have propped up antisemitism through their woke DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and ideology.
"The vast majority of the American people strongly support Israel. Even in the case of the very high-profile pro-Hamas encampment at Columbia University, over 50% of the individuals there were not even affiliated with Columbia. That was data put out by the New York Police Department. So we have to do a much better job ensuring those universities show strong leadership and make sure there are safe campuses for Jewish students, Jewish faculty, and the Jewish community."
Q: Lastly, Senator Chuck Schumer called on Israelis to replace Netanyahu, and I've seen many Democratic representatives saying, "We support Israel, but Netanyahu needs to be replaced." What is your view on this statement?
"My statement is we condemned Chuck Schumer immediately; we, as in the House Republican leadership. I was actually hosting the Israeli Ambassador to the US at a lunch with House Republicans when Chuck Schumer made that unbelievable statement. It's not for the American people to decide who the leader of Israel is; it's for the Israeli people. Our support for Israel must be unequivocal. We stand with our most precious ally."
