A Jewish Columbia professor has been blocked from campus after he created a pro-Israel rally to counter the student-led encampment in Gaza.
Shai Davidai, an assistant professor at the School of Business, appeared on camera in a fierce confrontation with pro-Palestinian students on Monday morning.
A source told DailyMail.com that Davidai’s employee card was deactivated after he refused to hold his counter-protest in the designated area and instead held it next to the pro-Gaza demonstration.
Footage shows him protesting with security guards at the campus gates before climbing a small wall and addressing protesters.
“They have deactivated my card, they don’t let me enter the campus,” says Davidai. “Not only do I have the civil right as a Jew to be on campus, but I also have the right as a professor employed by the university to be on campus.”
Jewish Columbia professor Shai Davidai (pictured) has been blocked from campus after he created a pro-Israel rally to counter the student-led encampment in Gaza.
Columbia University canceled all in-person classes Monday amid escalating anti-Israel protests that have sparked fear among Jewish students.
A video from last week shows pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters clashing outside the school as a woman shouts: ‘We are Hamas!’
His protest was met with cries of “Let Shai in” from his supporters and “Shame on you” from the pro-Palestinian protesters who initially attempted to drown him.
At another rally held in a green space on Sunday, Davidai called the Gaza camp “open support for Hamas.”
It comes after Columbia University canceled all in-person classes amid an escalation of anti-Israel protests that have sparked fear among Jewish students and a warning from a rabbi.
President Minouche Shafik said Monday she was “saddened” by the situation and that the school “needed a restart.”
“I understand that many are experiencing deep moral distress and I want Columbia to help alleviate this by taking action,” he said.
“We should have serious conversations about how Columbia can contribute.”
The Egyptian-born academic added that tensions have been “exploited and amplified by individuals not affiliated with Columbia,” warning that they are pursuing their own agenda.
Last week, the school’s rabbi warned Jewish students not to return to campus amid a horrifying rise in “extreme anti-Semitism.”
Shai Davidai, an assistant professor at the School of Business, was caught on camera in a fierce confrontation with pro-Palestinian students on Monday morning.
In an email to students announcing virtual learning for Monday, Columbia President Minouche Shafik said the school “needed a reset” following the chaos on campus.
Rabbi Elie Buechler of Columbia/Barnard Hillel issued the grim warning to students Sunday morning.
Buechler encouraged students to consider staying home, writing, “It is not our job as Jews to ensure our own safety on campus.”
The NYPD broke up an encampment at the university on Thursday and arrested more than 100 protesters, including Ilhan Omar’s daughter.
Democratic Mayor Eric Adams previously said university officials asked the city in writing to remove the encampment.
“Students have the right to free speech, but they do not have the right to violate university policies and disrupt learning on campus,” Adams said Sunday night.
‘I am horrified and disgusted by the anti-Semitism that is spreading on and around the Columbia University campus.
“Hate has no place in our city, and I have directed the NYPD to investigate any violation of the law that they receive a report about and will arrest anyone who breaks the law,” Adams said Sunday night.
‘However, I want to be very clear: Columbia University is a private institution on private property, which means that the NYPD cannot have a presence on campus unless specifically requested by senior university officials.
Isra Hirsi, daughter of left-wing congresswoman Ilhan Omar, says she has nowhere to live or eat after being suspended for participating in anti-Israel protests at Columbia University.
Hirsi (pictured right with her mother), 21, was part of a days-long protest in support of Palestine that has drawn strong condemnation from both sides of the political spectrum, including the White House.
‘For the safety of all New Yorkers, I urge senior officials in the Columbia administration to enhance and maintain an open line of communication with the NYPD to ensure the safety of all students and staff on campus.
“The NYPD has an increased presence of officers positioned around campus to protect students and all New Yorkers on public streets, and they are ready to respond if the university makes a request, as was done last Thursday.”
Students had been protesting on campus since the early hours of Wednesday, opposing Israeli military action in Gaza and demanding that the school divest from companies they claim are “profits of Israeli apartheid.”