Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) made fun of the students protesting on college campuses after a report revealed that a Houthi-operated university in Yemen will offer opportunities to those suspended at U.S. universities.
“If a homicidal, Iranian-funded, terrorism proxy wants to cover your college education expenses, you should seriously reconsider your choices,” Fetterman wrote on social media platform X.
His post featured a screenshot from a report by Reuters which outlines the offer by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia to students amidst ongoing protests on college campuses across the nation, leading to over 2,000 arrests.
“We are genuinely interested in welcoming students who have been suspended from U.S. universities for supporting Palestinians,” an official at Sanaa University told Reuters. “We are supporting the Palestinian cause in every possible way.”
The university issued a statement praising the “humanitarian” stance of the U.S. students engaged in demonstrations nationwide and indicated that they could pursue their education in Yemen.
“The university board strongly condemns the oppression of freedom of expression that academics and students from U.S. and European universities are facing,” the university's board stated.
The Biden administration has labeled the Houthis as a Specifically Designated Terrorist Group due to attacks it carried out against international shipping companies in the Red Sea during the Israel-Hamas war.
Since the start of the war, Fetterman has consistently supported Israel and its right to defend itself. He criticized the protests, acknowledging that it’s a “great American value to protest,” but considers the demonstrations to be “pup tents” for Hamas.
The protesters have rejected that characterization, stating that they are simply exercising their freedom of speech to protest Israel’s war crimes against Palestinian civilians.
Fetterman was part of a group of lawmakers last week who urged the president of Columbia University to “fulfill her responsibilities or resign” amid the ongoing unrest.
