Columbia University President Minouche Shafik has resigned after a tumultuous year marked by persistent and often violent anti-Israel demonstrations. Shafik's exit comes just days after three university deans stepped down following the exposure of an email chain that dismissed concerns from Israeli and Jewish students about rising antisemitism on campus.
"This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in the community," Shafik stated in an email to faculty and students. "Upon reflection over the summer, I have concluded that my departure at this juncture would best position Columbia to address the challenges ahead."
The university has appointed Katrina Armstrong, CEO of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, as interim president.
In response to Shafik's resignation, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters celebrated in the streets of New York. Demonstrators also disrupted a Democratic Party event supporting Kamala Harris, causing disturbances. Protesters deployed a smoke grenade, necessitating police intervention and resulting in numerous arrests.
The pro-Palestinian demonstrations that erupted at Columbia in May 2023 sparked similar actions across US and European universities. Protesters established encampments on Columbia's campus, with some calling for another intifada, voicing support for the Hamas terrorist organization, and using antisemitic rhetoric.
In April, Shafik had urged protesters to voluntarily dismantle their campus encampments, acknowledging that the demonstrations had fostered an "unwelcoming environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty." She partly attributed the "hostile environment" to "external factors."
House Speaker Mike Johnson condemned Shafik's handling of the situation, "President Shafik's refusal to protect Jewish students and maintain order on campus transformed Columbia University into the epicenter of virulent antisemitism that has plagued many American university campuses since Hamas' barbaric attack on Israel last fall... We hope that President Shafik's resignation serves as a warning to university administrators nationwide that tolerating or shielding antisemites is unacceptable and will have consequences."
