Israel Justice Organization president Farley Weiss praised Rep. Elise Stefanik during a recent launch event for her book Poisoned Ivies hosted by the Israel Justice Organization, crediting the congresswoman with helping shift the national conversation on antisemitism following the Oct. 7th massacre.
In remarks delivered before supporters and community members, Weiss described the aftermath of the attacks as a period of rising antisemitism on college campuses and accused universities and political leaders of failing to respond forcefully enough. He singled out Stefanik’s widely viewed congressional questioning of university presidents from Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania as a turning point.
“We met with her and there was a person who cared," Weiss said, recounting conversations with Jewish students who felt supported by Stefanik’s response to campus antisemitism.
Weiss said Stefanik strategically reserved extra speaking time during the congressional hearing in order to press university leaders on their handling of calls for violence against Jews. He argued that her questioning helped bring national attention to the issue and contributed to increased scrutiny of antisemitism on campuses.
“For us, as an organization, we are so honored to have you here," Weiss told Stefanik. “At some moments in history, someone’s in a position to do something and so many people don’t - you did."