Columbia University President Nemat Shafik was accused of leading one of the “worst hotbeds of anti-Semitism and hate” during a congressional grilling over her handling of pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
The Ivy League chief defended “peaceful” protests and students’ right to free speech in the rise of anti-Semitic rhetoric since the start of the Gaza war that led to the resignations of Harvard President Claudine Gay, and Yale President Liz Magill.
House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R.N.Y., accused Columbia leaders of refusing to “enforce their own policies and condemn Jewish hatred on campus, creating a breeding ground for anti-Semitism and a focus of support for terrorism by radicalized teachers and students. .’
Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, told Shafik that the experience of Jewish students at Columbia reminds him of the “hatred and intolerance” he experienced in the Deep South of the 1960s, referring to an Ivy professor League that called the October 7 attack ‘impressive.’
He directed a direct question to the president: “Would this treatment of black Americans on Columbia’s campus be tolerated for one second?”
Shafik replied “of course not.”
President Virginia Foxx, R.N.C., played a video of students demonstrating in Columbia and chanting ‘Intifada!’ and ‘We will honor all the martyrs!’ in reference to the Hamas attackers on October 7.
“While anti-Semitism has been rampant on numerous college campuses, Columbia University stands out as one of the worst offenders,” Foxx insisted.
Columbia students insist their university has done nothing about a ‘tsunami of anti-Semitism’ on campus after the Hamas attack, just as President Nemat Shafik testifies before the House Education and Workforce Committee.
Pro-Palestinian students participate in a protest in support of Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, at Columbia University in New York City, USA.
But Shafik insisted that he has worked aggressively to combat anti-Semitism on campus, including holding more than 200 meetings on the issue, holding daily campus security team meetings and working with the NYPD and FBI when hate crimes occur on campus.
He said the “vast majority” of protests on campus have been “peaceful” and said the university is focused on defending free speech but “cannot and should not tolerate abuses in this commitment to harass and discriminate.”
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., asked Shafik if singing ‘intifada’ violates Columbia rules.
“I find it incredibly distressing and I deeply wish people wouldn’t wear them on our campus,” Shafik said. “It is abhorrent and has no place in our community.”
He continued: “I think one of the issues we’re actively debating now… is clarifying where language crosses the line between protected speech and discriminatory or harassing speech.”
Stefanik, who led the line of questioning that stumped the presidents of Harvard and Yale in December, asked a series of pointed questions aimed at Shafik.
She asked him about the “disciplinary measures” taken against Columbia professor Joseph Massad, who celebrated Hamas’ attack on Israel as “stunning.”
Shafik said he is still a professor at Columbia, but he had a tough conversation.
Another professor, Mohamed Abdou, said he was “with Hamas” a few days before his hiring.
“He will never work at Columbia again,” Shafik responded, without directly answering whether he has been fired.
“He is grading his students’ papers and will never teach at Columbia again,” she said.
‘Isn’t it a problem with the hiring process at Columbia to hire someone after they’ve made those statements?’ Stefanik asked.
The president said they would need to “tighten” the processes.
‘However, here we see concern about the lack of application of the law. There is concern that talking to these teachers is not enough. And this sends a message to the entire university that this is tolerated,” Stefanik responded.
“These anti-Semitic statements by teachers are tolerated from a position of authority in the classroom.”
Current Columbia students also say the school has done nothing in the face of a ‘tsunami of anti-Semitism’ on campus after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2022.
Jewish students told stories of having Star of David necklaces ripped from their necks as they walked to class, and having anti-Semitic slogans shouted in their faces while saying that Columbia “does not offer transparency about what, if anything, they are doing to people.” that violate university rules. .’
President Virginia Foxx played a video of students demonstrating in Columbia and chanting ‘Intifada!’ and ‘We will honor all the martyrs!’ in reference to the Hamas attackers on October 7
President Shafik said one of the suggestions from the school’s anti-Semitism task force was to limit the places where students could protest.
“In the five months after October 7, the Columbia administration stood by as a tsunami of anti-Semitism in the form of harassment, intimidation, exclusion, intimidation, and physical violence inundated every aspect of university life,” said a Jewish student at a press conference prior to the hearing.
President Shafik said one of the suggestions from the school’s anti-Semitism task force was to limit the places where students could protest.
“If you’re going to sing, you should only do it in a certain place so that people don’t want to hear it, or protected from having to hear it.”
Columbia Board of Trustees Co-Chair Claire Shipman went on to say that she is “not satisfied” with the school’s response to the pro-Hamas demonstrations on campus.
‘I can tell you clearly that I am not satisfied with Columbia’s current situation as co-chair of the board. I’m responsible for that,” she said.
‘This position is one of the great privileges of my life and I take the weight of its responsibility seriously. “I am dedicated to addressing these concerns.”
“The days immediately following October 7 are the most painful I have experienced on our campus. When news of the horrific Hamas terrorist attack began to spread, I knew that this terrorist tragedy would have a devastating impact, especially on our Jewish students.”
Stefanik, who led the line of questioning that stumped the presidents of Harvard and Yale in December, asked a series of pointed questions aimed at Shafik.
“While anti-Semitism has spread on numerous college campuses, Columbia University stands out as one of the worst offenders,” Foxx insisted.
NYPD officers stand guard as people gather to protest the ban of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) at Columbia University.
“The ultimate answer to anti-Semitism and all its forms is education,” Shafik said.
An earlier hearing on anti-Semitism in January had devastating consequences for other university presidents who were criticized by Republicans for excusing anti-Semitism: Harvard President Claudine Gay and Penn President Liz Magill resigned after their appearance before the Committee of Education and Workforce.
Senior Democrat Bobby Scott played a clip from the 2017 Charlottesville ‘Unite the Right’ rally.
“While I appreciate my colleagues’ new concerns for some all-rights students on campus, I would like to note that they are at odds with House Republicans’ budget proposals,” he said.