The Columbia Jewish Alumni Association has penned an open letter to University President Nemat Minouche Shafik, imploring her to take decisive action to ensure the safety of students amidst ongoing violent protests surrounding the war in Gaza. The letter, sent on Friday, highlights concerns about the perilous environment facing Jewish students due to recent events on campus.
Citing incidents such as the assault of Israeli guest speaker Yoseph Haddad and threats made towards Jewish students by protesters, shouting "We know where you live," the association asserts that the current protests have fostered an atmosphere of fear and insecurity. Of particular concern are chants such as "Oct. 7 would be every day" directed at Jewish students and one that "equated the NYPD and IDF to the KKK," exacerbating tensions on campus.
BREAKING: CJAA sends open letter to President Shafik @Columbia warning that campus is now under MOB RULE and calling for IMMEDIATE CLOSURE OF COLUMBIA GATES and ENFORCEMENT of University rules of conduct. pic.twitter.com/b1Lspntw1S
— Columbia Jewish Alumni Assoc. (@CU_JewishAlumni) April 19, 2024
The letter also points to unauthorized protests as contributing to the volatile situation. Following the arrest of over 100 protesters, solidarity demonstrations have persisted, further disrupting campus life.
Established in response to Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association condemns the university's failure to denounce Hamas and its affiliated student groups. These groups, the association contends, propagate antisemitism and pose a direct threat to Jewish students' safety, adding: "The University failed to condemn Hamas, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, and the student groups which stand 'in full solidarity with' Hamas...These groups advocate for the obliteration of the Jewish state and have perpetuated the most egregious antisemitism we've ever seen on campus, causing Jewish students to feel unsafe."
Yale University students taking down the American flag while shouting "viva viva Palestina" https://t.co/pEoC9xRA70
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyDillon) April 21, 2024
Echoing the alumni's concerns, a separate letter organized by Jewish students calls for virtual class options until the situation stabilizes. With over 100 signatures, this plea underscores the widespread apprehension among students regarding campus safety.
In response to these developments, the alumni association calls on President Shafik to enforce university regulations rigorously. They urge immediate action to quell the unrest, including the closure of campus gates to prevent further incursions by outside protesters. Expressing fear of escalating violence against Jewish students, the association warns of a campus under the sway of disorder rather than reasoned discourse.
In response to "horrific" scenes of antisemitic harassment at and around campus, the Orthodox Rabbi at Columbia/Barnard sent a WhatsApp message to more than 290+ Jewish students this morning recommending that they go home until it's safe again for them on campus: pic.twitter.com/uqAntEICLv
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 21, 2024
The call for decisive intervention reflects growing apprehension within the university community about the safety of its members amidst ongoing turmoil. "It is clear to us that Columbia is now under mob rule – a mob, by the way, that is only interested in attention and chaos, rather than thoughtful dialogue or reasoned debate," the CJAA says. "We are, in short, afraid that violence against Jewish students is imminent."
Similar incidents occur at the neighbor university, Yale, in New Haven, as seen in a recent video posted on social media – in which students tear down the American flag on campus while chanting "Viva viva Palestina" (Long live Palestine) with no apparent intervention from the police or the university's administration.
On Tuesday, the Anti-Defamation Leauge (ADL) published a report showing a 140% rise in antisemitic incidents in the US in 2023, as compared to 2022, considered a peak year in antisemitic incidents, with the highest figure recorded since the ADL launched its tracking, known as the Audit, in 1979.
