Columbia president accused of ‘hotbed of anti-Semitism’

Columbia students claim their university did nothing to address a “tsunami of anti-Semitism” on campus after the Hamas attack — just as President Nemat Shafik testifies before the House Education and Workforce Committee. “In the five months since October 7, the Columbia government has stood idly by as a tsunami of anti-Semitism in the form of intimidation, bullying, exclusion, intimidation and physical violence engulfed every aspect of campus life,” said a Jewish student at a meeting in New York. press conference prior to the hearing.

Jewish students told stories of Star of David chains being ripped from their necks as they walked to class, anti-Semitic slogans shouted in their faces as they said Columbia “provides no transparency into what they do, if anything against the people who break university rules’. .’

Republican House Speaker Elise Stefanik said: “Columbia’s leadership refuses to enforce its own policies and condemn Jewish hatred on campus, creating a breeding ground for anti-Semitism and a hotbed of support for terrorism from radicalized faculty and students.’

At the start of the anti-Semitism hearing, chairwoman Virginia Foxx played a video of students gathering in Columbia chanting “Intifada!” shouted. and ‘We will honor all martyrs!’ in reference to the Hamas attackers on October 7. “While anti-Semitism rages on countless college campuses, Columbia University stands out as one of the worst offenders,” Foxx pointed out.

Shafik maintained that she has worked aggressively to combat anti-Semitism on campus, including holding more than 200 meetings on the topic, holding daily meetings of the campus security team and working with the NYPD and FBI when hate crimes occur on campus.

She said the “vast majority” of protests on campus have been “peaceful” and that the college is focused on upholding freedom of expression but “cannot and should not tolerate abuse of this promise to intimidate and discriminate .’

“The ultimate answer to anti-Semitism and all its forms is education,” Shafik said. An earlier anti-Semitism hearing in January had devastating consequences for other university presidents criticized by Republicans for excusing anti-Semitism: Harvard President Claudine Gay and Penn President Liz Magill resigned after appearing before the Education and Workforce Committee.

Democrat Bobby Scott played a clip from the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville.

“While I appreciate my colleagues’ renewed concerns about some full-privileged students on campus, I want to note that this is contrary to House Republicans’ budget proposals,” he said.

Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Visit our profile page here and hit the follow button above for more news you need.