Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., is pressing Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to resign after he refused to condemn a chant used by pro-Palestinian protesters as antisemitic.
"Three months after October 7 and the disgusting antisemitic demonstrations that followed, there is no excusing Secretary Cardona's cowardly evasion of the antisemitic character of the phrase 'from the river, to the sea,' " Foxx, the House Education and Workforce Committee chair, said in a statement late Tuesday.
"This nation deserves much better than bungling and deliberate misuse of taxpayer dollars. And Jewish students deserve to know that their Education Secretary understands the hate they face and has the necessary courage and clarity to confront it," she said. "It is time for the Secretary to resign."
Cardona on Tuesday told a group of Jewish reporters that calls for genocide are "not tolerable" but would not say whether the phrase "from the river, to the sea, Palestine will be free," should be considered antisemitic by university administrators.
"If there are students who are feeling that statements by students are being referred to genocide, or they're feeling unsafe on campus, it is a responsibility of a university leader to get involved," Cardona said. "This is an opportunity for leadership to bring people together to talk about it and to set clear lines on how you communicate while not making students feel threatened or unsafe on campus."
When pressed on whether the "from the river, to the sea" phrase could be construed as an antisemitic call for genocide, Cardona demurred.
"That's why I say we investigate each case, and it's difficult for me to make a statement here about that. If students are feeling unsafe with that, it's the responsibility of leadership to act," said Cardona. "I believe antisemitism can include anti-Zionist statements," he said, and "we take that into account when looking at cases."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.