Dozens of masked anti-Israel demonstrators were arrested after storming Butler Library at Columbia University in New York City during finals week, Fox News reported. More than 80 students were detained following the Wednesday afternoon incident when over 100 protesters pushed past campus security.

Anti-Israel, pro-Palestine protesters have taken over Columbia University's library. All of these people, if they are students, should be immediately expelled: pic.twitter.com/IsJuZi4JTQ

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 7, 2025

The protesters reportedly gathered in solidarity with Mahmoud Khalil, the organizer of previous pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the prestigious institution. Khalil, a Columbia graduate, was apprehended last month at his university-owned apartment when Homeland Security Investigations informed him they were revoking his immigration status before transferring him to a detention facility in Louisiana.

Images showed that protesters had renamed Butler Library as "Basel Al-Araj Popular University" and declared it a "liberation zone." Columbia students said demonstrators climbed on desks while chanting "Free Palestine" and demanding the university divest from Israel, with some expressing concerns about a potential encampment being established.

Watch this entitled brat vandalize the @Columbia library - without a single thought or care for the wage-earning custodians who will inevitably be called in to clean up this appalling damage. pic.twitter.com/wJgGTfbWpY

— Columbia Jewish Alumni Assoc. (@CU_JewishAlumni) May 7, 2025

Students not participating in the demonstration said that the protest disrupted their studies, forcing them to abandon their finals preparation and exit the library. Amid the developing situation, the State Department issued a stern warning to international students about legal consequences.

"Foreign university students in America have been put on notice: if you break the law or support terrorism in our country, we will revoke your visa. This administration will not tolerate noncitizens causing mayhem on our college campuses," the statement read. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that his department was "reviewing the visa status of the trespassers and vandals who took over Columbia University's library. Pro-Hamas thugs are no longer welcome in our great nation."

Protesters attempting to stampede public safety to avoid being identified as they leave pic.twitter.com/4yiYXbvGk2

— Columbia Jewish & Israeli Students (@CUJewsIsraelis) May 7, 2025

Campus security reportedly prevented people from entering or leaving without showing identification. "Nobody comes in, nobody comes out," Columbia University security personnel stated at a campus entry point. Around 7:00 p.m., the protesters announced on social media that they refused to present identification and "come quietly."

Acting President Claire Shipman released a statement Wednesday explaining that the university requested assistance from the New York Police Department. "Sadly, during the course of this disruption, two of our Columbia Public Safety Officers sustained injuries during a crowd surge when individuals attempted to force their way into the building and into Room 301," Shipman declared. "These actions are outrageous."

The statement continued: "Individuals participating in the Reading Room 301 disruption were repeatedly asked for identification and to leave, and were repeatedly told that failure to comply would result in violations of our rules and policies and possible arrest for trespassing. We have been clear from the outset about applying our protocols and advising participants of the potential consequences of not complying. Requesting the presence of the NYPD is not the outcome we wanted, but it was absolutely necessary to secure the safety of our community."

New York Mayor Eric Adams expressed solidarity with Jewish students at Columbia and urged parents of protesters to "make clear that breaking the law is wrong and they should exit the building immediately." The mayor warned: "To those protesting on campus who do not attend Columbia: exit the campus immediately or you will be arrested," adding, "We will not tolerate hate or violence in any form in our city.

Columbia had issued warnings last month against establishing encampments similar to those from previous protests, which had resulted in students occupying Hamilton Hall and confrontations with riot police. Those events led to over 200 arrests as students demonstrated against Israel's military operations in Gaza following Hamas' deadly October 7, 2023, attacks that killed more than 1,200 people.

Former Columbia University President Minouche Shafik had resigned following criticism of her handling of campus protests and incidents of antisemitism. The university has faced intense scrutiny over rising antisemitism, with President Trump canceling $400 million in federal grants to the institution in March.

This prompted Columbia to yield to certain demands in hopes of restoring funding. Wednesday's protests coincided with the university's announcement that approximately 180 staff members might lose their jobs following the Trump administration's withdrawal of federal grants due to the school's "failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment."

"Across the research portfolio, we have had to make difficult choices and, unfortunately, today, nearly 180 of our colleagues who have been working, in whole or in part, on impacted federal grants, will receive notices of non-renewal or termination," Shipman stated. "This represents about 20% of the individuals who are funded in some manner by the terminated grant."

US Representative Lisa McClain, chair of the House GOP, criticized calls for investigations into universities experiencing anti-Israel protests. "We don't need to do an investigation. We know what the problem is," she declared. "They have laws, and they don't follow them. Columbia is a prime example of what happens when there are no consequences to one's actions."

Representative Elise Stefanik praised Trump's decision to withhold funding amid rising antisemitism at the university. "While Columbia students try to study for finals, they're being bombarded with chants for a 'global intifada,'" she wrote on X. "President Donald Trump is right: not a single taxpayer dollar should go to a university that allows chaos, antisemitism, and civil rights violations on its campus. Columbia must act – enough is enough."

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Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian green card holder and Columbia University student, was apprehended Monday by American immigration authorities in Vermont while attending what was supposed to be a routine citizenship interview.

Mahdawi, who emerged as a prominent figure during pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia approximately a year ago, was taken into custody under circumstances his legal team describes as politically motivated. "We have not received confirmation as to his whereabouts despite numerous attempts to locate him," his attorney, Luna Droubi, told The Guardian. "We have filed a habeas petition in the District of Vermont and have sought a temporary restraining order restraining the government from removing him from the jurisdiction or from the country."

Droubi further alleged, "the Trump administration detained Mohsen Mahdawi in direct retaliation for his advocacy on behalf of Palestinians and because of his identity as a Palestinian", adding that "his detention is an attempt to silence those who speak out against the atrocities in Gaza. It is also unconstitutional."

In their court filing, Mahdawi's legal representatives argued that his detention violates his First Amendment rights, statutory protections, and due process guarantees under American law.

Court documents submitted by Mahdawi's attorneys emphasize that he has maintained lawful permanent resident status in the US for a decade and was actively pursuing citizenship at the time of his arrest. The legal team contends that this case "concerns the government's retaliatory and targeted detention and attempted removal of Mr Mahdawi for his constitutionally protected speech".

According to his lawyers, Mahdawi appears to face deportation under a rarely invoked administrative provision that the Trump administration has recently applied in similar cases, including efforts to deport Mahmoud Khalil, another Columbia University student who participated in leadership roles during protests against Israel.

This specific provision grants the Secretary of State authority to remove individuals from the US if their presence is determined to carry "serious foreign policy consequences for the US" – a broadly defined standard that civil liberties advocates have criticized as potentially enabling political targeting of foreign nationals.

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Families of hostages kidnapped by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack have filed a lawsuit against detained Columbia University protest leader Mahmoud Khalil and several student groups, accusing them of "aiding and abetting Hamas' continuing acts of international terrorism," The New York Post reported on Monday. The legal action comes as the US government simultaneously pursues deportation proceedings against Khalil.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in Manhattan federal court, identifies Khalil as one of the leaders of anti-Israel protests that spread across Columbia's Morningside Heights campus last year. The plaintiffs claim these demonstrations effectively helped propagate Hamas' rhetoric following the Oct. 7 attack in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 others kidnapped.

"Defendants in this case are Hamas' propaganda arm in New York City and on the Columbia University campus," the lawsuit states. "Their self-described acts in furtherance of their goals to assist Hamas have included terrorizing and assaulting Jewish students, unlawfully taking over and damaging public and university property on Columbia's campus, and physically assaulting Columbia University employees."

The lawsuit further states that as Hamas initiated its attack, it called for supporters worldwide to "join the battle in any way they can," a message the defendants answered by organizing anti-Israel demonstrations at Columbia University. The plaintiffs include six family members of hostages still held in Gaza, alongside some released hostages including Shlomi Ziv and Iris Weinstein Haggai, daughter of murdered Israeli-Americans Gadi and Judith Haggai, and three American Israel Defense Forces soldiers.

Beyond Khalil's indictment of the Columbia protests, the US government alleged in a court filing on Sunday that Khalil withheld his employment with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in his visa application. According to Reuters, officials argue this omission should be grounds enough for deportation. The UN agency has become a flashpoint in the Gaza conflict after it was revealed that several UNRWA employees participated in the Oct. 7 attack, leading to Israel's decision to cease the agency's operations in its territory after 57 years.

US President Donald Trump's administration detained Khalil on March 8 and transferred him to Louisiana as part of efforts to remove him from the country. In the government's deportation case, officials claim Khalil's presence in the United States would have serious foreign policy consequences. Court documents indicate Khalil allegedly failed to disclose his role as a political officer with UNRWA in 2023, his work for the Syria office in the British embassy in Beirut, and his membership in Columbia University Apartheid Divest. Khalil, originally from Syria and an Algerian citizen, entered the US on a student visa in 2022 and later applied for permanent residency in 2024. In his previous statements, he has described himself as a "political prisoner".

The hostage families' lawsuit names additional defendants besides Khalil – Nerdeen Kiswani of Within Our Lifetime-United For Palestine, Maryam Alwan of Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, and Cameron Jones of Columbia-Barnard Jewish Voice for Peace.  "Associational Defendants have distributed pro-terror propaganda produced by and literally stamped with the logo of the 'Hamas Media Office,'" the filing claims.

The lawsuit further suggests some defendants may have had prior knowledge of the Oct. 7 attack, citing a social media post by Columbia SJP minutes before the attack began: "Three minutes before Hamas began its attack on October 7, Columbia SJP posted on Instagram 'We are back!!' and announced its first meeting of the semester would be announced and that viewers should 'Stay tuned.'"

The hostage families' lawsuit argues the defendants are not protected by constitutional free speech rights, claiming their activities were coordinated with a foreign terrorist organization. "Associational Defendants are not independent advocates; they are expert propagandists and recruiters for international foreign terrorist organizations and nation-state proxies operating in plain sight in New York City," the lawsuit states, alleging violations of America's Antiterrorism Act.

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The Trump administration informed the universities that they are under investigation for "antisemitic discrimination and harassment." According to a statement issued by Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, "The department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite US campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year. University leaders must do better." This comes just as the Trump administration continues to crack down on foreign students who have been expressing sympathy for Hamas, including through the revocation of their student visa and deportation.

McMahon emphasized to Fox News Digital that "US colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by US taxpayers. That support is a privilege, and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal anti-discrimination laws."

The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) sent letters to these 60 higher education institutions on Monday, warning them of potential legal consequences "if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus, including uninterrupted access to campus facilities and educational opportunities," according to Fox News Digital.

These investigations stem from allegations of antisemitic harassment and discrimination following anti-Israel campus protests nationwide after the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. The universities under scrutiny span every major region of the country and include both Ivy League institutions and major state schools like the University of Michigan and University of Virginia.

The list of universities under investigation is extensive, covering 28 institutions in the Northeast including Columbia University, Harvard University, and Yale University; eight in the Midwest such as Northwestern and Ohio State University; 16 in the West, including Stanford University and University of California Berkeley; and eight in the South including the University of Virginia and Tulane University.

This action follows the Trump administration's Friday announcement that it would prioritize investigating outstanding allegations of antisemitism and violence on college campuses across the US. This came after the administration canceled approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University "due to the school's continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students," Fox News Digital reported.

"Over 140 complaints alleging antisemitic harassment and violence were filed with the Biden Education Department," Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for the OCR, told Fox News Digital on Monday.

The letters sent to universities mark a significant escalation in the federal response to campus tensions that have been building since the Hamas attacks on Israel last year. These investigations could potentially impact the federal funding these institutions receive if they are found to be in violation of civil rights laws.

University administrators now face increased pressure to demonstrate they are taking concrete steps to address antisemitism on their campuses while also balancing free speech concerns. The Trump administration has made it clear that protection of Jewish students is a priority, and institutions that fail to provide adequate safeguards may face substantial financial consequences.

The OCR has indicated that it will thoroughly examine each institution's policies, response mechanisms, and handling of specific incidents to determine if they have created an environment where Jewish students can safely pursue their education without discrimination or harassment.

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Trump's recent social media announcement emphasized his administration's zero-tolerance policy with an all-caps declaration: "NO MASKS!" Several weeks ago, the president has characterized campus protests as having unleashed an "unprecedented wave of vile antisemitic discrimination, vandalism, and violence against our citizens, especially in our schools and on our campuses."

Under President @realDonaldTrump, colleges and universities will be held accountable. Antisemitism and anti-Israel hate will not be tolerated on American campuses. Promises made, promises kept. @POTUS @realDonaldTrump @WhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/h9nq1gVJRO

— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) March 4, 2025

The president's tough stance has coincided with a noticeable decline in pro-Palestinian demonstrations across US college campuses.Israel Hayom recently spoke with Jewish students at Columbia University who reported that Trump's return to the White House has created what they describe as a more secure environment and increased their sense of personal safety, with a marked decrease in pro-Palestinian protesters' willingness to engage in extreme actions following Trump's inauguration in January. This shift represents a significant change from the intense protest activity that characterized many campuses during the previous semester.

"Today, students think twice before wearing Hamas headbands because they understand the consequences – arrest and deportation from the US. We don't want these people in our country anymore," Gideon Escovitz, a 22-year-old undergraduate at Hunter College in Manhattan, told Israel Hayom. Escovitz heads "Jewish Students for America," an organization focused on combating foreign funding in American educational institutions, primarily from China and Qatar.

Hunter College was previously described as an "epicenter of pro-Palestinian protests in New York," but the atmosphere has changed dramatically in recent months. "The protest momentum has diminished since last semester. Protesters have lost their drive, and wearing a keffiyeh while confronting local law enforcement is not trendy anymore," Escovitz explained to Israel Hayom.

Shortly after returning to office, Trump signed executive orders mandating the investigation and punishment of protest participants who violated laws. These orders specifically target supporters of Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization in the US. The administration also announced visa revocation measures for pro-Hamas students on campuses, directly affecting non-citizen students who have participated in demonstrations supporting the organization.

Shortly after the Trump post, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Education (ED), and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) unveiled a comprehensive "review of Columbia University's federal contracts and grants in light of ongoing investigations for potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act." In a statement, the three announced the following:

"Given Columbia's ongoing inaction in the face of relentless harassment of Jewish students, the Federal Government's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is considering Stop Work Orders for $51.4 million in contracts between Columbia University and the Federal Government. The task force will also conduct a comprehensive review of the more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia University to ensure the university is in compliance with federal regulations, including its civil rights responsibilities."

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said, according to the statement, that "antisemitism – like racism – is a spiritual and moral malady that sickens societies and kills people with lethalities comparable to history's most deadly plagues." He added, "In recent years, the censorship and false narratives of woke cancel culture have transformed our great universities into greenhouses for this deadly and virulent pestilence. Making America healthy means building communities of trust and mutual respect, based on speech freedom and open debate."

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Dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupied Milbank Hall at Barnard College Wednesday, protesting the expulsion of two students who had disrupted a class on Israel, according to The New York Times. The masked protesters pushed past security and staged a sit-in outside the dean's office, creating a tense standoff with college administrators.

A Barnard College spokeswoman said in a statement that the protesters "physically assaulted a Barnard employee, sending them to the hospital" during their entry into the building around 4 p.m. The demonstrators chanted "There is only one solution, intifada revolution" while beating drums during their occupation. Their demands included the immediate reversal of student suspensions and amnesty for all students disciplined for pro-Palestinian activism on campus.

"Tonight, a small group of masked protesters attempted to undermine Barnard's core values of respect, inclusion, and academic excellence," Barnard President Laura Rosenbury said in a statement. She emphasized, "Their disregard for the safety of our community remains completely unacceptable."

The protesters were demonstrating against the expulsion of two students who participated in disrupting Professor Avi Shilon's "History of Modern Israel" class at Columbia University on January 21. A third participant, identified as a Columbia student, has been suspended pending investigation, while a fourth individual reportedly remains unidentified. Video footage shared by the protesters themselves showed they entered the classroom while masked, claiming they were disrupting a "Zionist class" that was "intellectualizing and normalizing a genocide."

BREAKING: Staff are fleeing after terror supporting students and faculty took over a building at Columbia.

Columbia should immediately lose its accreditation and all federal funding. pic.twitter.com/29nBcHsRJr

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) February 26, 2025

The protesters distributed antisemitic materials during the classroom interruption, including a flyer depicting a Jewish star being stomped by a jackboot. Professor Shilon, a visiting history professor from Israel, reportedly invited the protesters to stay and study rather than disrupt the class, but they declined his offer.

In a statement released Sunday, President Rosenbury affirmed "Barnard will always take decisive action to protect our community as a place where learning thrives, individuals feel safe and higher education is celebrated." Rosenbury indicated that the disciplined students had shown "no reflection, and no willingness to change." Meanwhile, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, which had posted a video of the classroom disruption, celebrated the action on social media platform X, writing, "STUDENTS DISRUPTED A ZIONIST CLASS, YOU SHOULD TOO!"

Barnard spokeswoman Robin Levine issued a statement around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday warning that if protesters did not leave by 9:30 p.m., "Barnard will be forced to consider additional, necessary measures to protect our campus." The college had attempted to negotiate with protesters, offering a meeting with Dean Leslie Grinage on the condition that participants remove their masks and show identification – terms the demonstrators rejected, as reported by The New York Times.

"We have made multiple good-faith efforts to de-escalate," Levine stated. "Barnard leadership offered to meet with the protesters, just as we meet with all members of our community, on one simple condition: remove their masks. They refused." The sit-in concluded around 10:40 p.m. when protesters marched out of the building while continuing to chant and beat drums. At least nine New York Police Department vans were positioned near campus around 10 p.m., though no arrests were made.

The incident occurs amid heightened tensions on university campuses nationwide regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. While Barnard and Columbia have historical connections to Jewish intellectual traditions, they have also been centers of pro-Palestinian activism in recent months.

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With the decline of pro-Palestinian demonstrations across US campuses, Jewish students report that Donald Trump's return to the White House has created a more secure environment and an increased sense of personal safety. They also note a marked decrease in pro-Palestinian protesters' willingness to engage in extreme actions.

"Today, students think twice before wearing Hamas headbands because they understand the consequences – arrest and deportation from the US. We don't want these people in our country anymore," Gideon Escovitz (22), an undergraduate at Hunter College in Manhattan, a previous epicenter of pro-Palestinian protests in New York, said. He currently heads "Jewish Students for America," an organization combating foreign funding in American educational institutions, primarily from China and Qatar. "The protest momentum has diminished since last semester. Protesters have lost their drive, and wearing a keffiyeh while confronting local law enforcement is not trendy anymore."

According to Escovitz, Jewish students experience enhanced security. "The Trump administration, along with Congressional Republicans, works alongside us, respecting our status as citizens, voters, and contributing Americans. They're committed to supporting us. This is my homeland – my great-grandfather served as a US Air Force officer, and no 'schmuck' will exclude me or threaten my existence."

"Protests dramatically reduced"

Shortly after his White House return, Trump addressed the protests, stating they had unleashed an "unprecedented wave of vile antisemitic discrimination, vandalism, and violence against our citizens, especially in our schools and on our campuses." He promptly signed executive orders mandating the investigation and punishment of protest participants who violated laws, including Hamas supporters, given Hamas' designation as a terrorist organization in the US. Trump further announced visa revocation for pro-Hamas students on campuses.

Lilian Ross (20), studying psychology at Rutgers University in New Jersey, observed: "The protests are still happening, but have dramatically reduced, primarily because pro-Palestinian organizations are postponing activities, fearing potential consequences." However, Ross noted persistent anti-Israel sentiment. "Our student union still sees attempts to pass anti-Israel resolutions and anti-Zionist declarations."

The protest reduction at Rutgers can be partially attributed to the suspension of 'Students for Palestine' from campus activities until mid-2025, following their involvement in last year's unrest.

Ross experienced "genuine fear" during the protest wave. "Antisemitic graffiti appeared on student residences, our events faced disruption, we were pursued by Palestinian flag-bearing protesters, hostage posters were destroyed – ultimately forcing my return to my parents' home." Regarding campus Jewish organizations, she stated: "The issue isn't with Jewish organizations but with administration-student communication breakdowns, which persist. Those responsible remain unidentified." She currently collaborates with fellow Jewish students on policy papers documenting Jewish students' situations at Rutgers, intended for government and Congressional review.

"The White House now has leadership that won't tolerate campus chaos"

Eyal Yacobi (22), who attended the University of Pennsylvania during last year's protests and is currently a prominent advocate, welcomes Trump's election and initial administrative actions. "The White House now has leadership that won't tolerate campus chaos. Biden's era saw unchecked behavior from pro-Palestinian students. Despite the brief time since inauguration, Trump has established an inter-agency investigation team, implemented student deportations for legal violations, and launched comprehensive investigations. These actions should have commenced Oct. 8, and it's refreshing to see leadership committed to protecting Americans."

He sees "an opportunity for proactive measures" against students who targeted Jewish peers. "The administration begins addressing campus antisemitism at its root, inspiring considerable hope."

Yacobi criticized campus Jewish organizations' failure to anticipate or manage the unprecedented unrest. "As Israel must investigate Oct. 7, organizations must examine Oct. 8. They grew complacent, focusing on broader issues like civil rights, LGBTQ concerns, and African American matters – all important, but Jewish organizations must prioritize Jewish student protection and crisis preparedness."

A key voice during the protests, Yacobi addressed Congress near the university presidents' hearing, calling it the "Super Bowl for Jewish students." "The real-time accountability exposed clear antisemitism and campus moral ambiguity." Regarding protest participants, he noted, "The Trump administration and multi-agency task force clearly intend to address law violators."

Reformed administrative response

Professor Ran Kivetz, a 24-year Columbia Business School faculty member, noted tangible changes. "Last year's forceful campus takeovers have virtually disappeared. The new president maintains stricter standards than her predecessor. While isolated incidents persist – like masked protesters disrupting an Israeli professor's class with antisemitic materials – the intensity differs significantly from peak unrest periods."

Kivetz observed "surface-level improvements," attributing changes to both protest fatigue and revised administrative approaches. "The previous president showed either incompetence or misalignment – labeling them 'protesters,' entertaining BDS compromises, displaying weakness. Trump promised university investigations during his campaign and since election. The Israeli professor classroom incident drew immediate, severe condemnation and perpetrator accountability – unprecedented under previous leadership."

He noted, "Federal funding freezes for Columbia's medical school, decreased donations, and reduced revenue have pressured administration toward reform." However, Kivetz acknowledged persistent concerns among Jewish faculty about publicly addressing campus antisemitism. "Fear remains prevalent, especially in undergraduate humanities, where faculty members openly challenge Israel's legitimacy. These academics show increased coordination and boldness, integrating anti-Israel sentiment into curricula – a worsening trend."

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For the first time in over two decades, no graduates from Ramaz, an elite Jewish high school on New York's Upper East Side, will be attending Columbia College this fall, The New York Post reported Sunday. The school cited rising antisemitism on campus as a contributing factor to this unprecedented shift.

According to a statement provided to The New York Post by Ramaz, "For the first time in over 20 years, we will not have a Ramaz graduate enrolling in Columbia College." The school noted that while one student enrolled in Columbia's School of General Studies and three in the Columbia-affiliated Barnard College, none chose to attend Columbia College itself.

Ramaz indicated that anti-Israel protests and hostility toward Jewish students at Columbia during the previous semester played a role in its graduates' decisions. "Ramaz provides as much information as possible about the situation at various colleges of interest, and we have given priority to issues surrounding the horrific rise in antisemitic instances at some schools, so that our students and their families are able to make informed decisions about which colleges are right for them," a school representative told The New York Post.

Rory Lancman, a prominent Jewish civil rights activist and Columbia Law School graduate, expressed his concerns about the current climate at Columbia. "Jewish families are voting with their feet and choosing colleges and universities that take antisemitism seriously," said Lancman, who serves as the director of corporate initiatives and senior counsel at the Louis Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law. He added, "I would not recommend my daughters to apply to Columbia or other colleges that aren't committed to protect them as Jews."

The Ivy League institution has been grappling with significant turmoil in recent months. Columbia President Minouche Shafik recently resigned after leading the university for just one year, a period marked by constant and sometimes destructive anti-Israel protests. Her resignation followed closely on the heels of three university deans stepping down after the exposure of a "very troubling" text chain that disparaged Israeli and Jewish students' concerns about rising antisemitism on campus.

In April, a large group of masked protesters broke into a Columbia academic building, seizing control and draping it with a giant flag calling for "intifada." Video footage captured a demonstrator using a hammer to break through a glass-paneled door and securing it with what appeared to be a bike lock.

Hundreds of students were arrested on trespassing charges for refusing to dismantle a campus encampment, which triggered the building takeover. However, many of those involved in vandalism, rioting, and trespassing subsequently avoided criminal charges.

The protests and anti-Israel sentiment were fueled by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, in which terrorists killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took over 240 hostages. As of Aug. 19, 115 Israelis remain held hostage, of whom 41 have been declared dead, having either been killed in the massacre or in captivity.

Columbia University declined to comment when contacted by The New York Post regarding the Ramaz situation.

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Columbia University is again facing scrutiny over allegations of antisemitism and discrimination against Jewish students on campus, according to a report by Haaretz.

The Columbia Task Force on Antisemitism, established in the wake of the October 7 Hamas massacre and subsequent war in Gaza, has documented hundreds of testimonies detailing incidents of harassment, intimidation, and exclusion experienced by Jewish students. These accounts were gathered through over 20 listening sessions attended by approximately 500 students, as well as written appeals submitted to the task force.

Some of the disturbing incidents reported include professors asking students with Jewish-sounding last names to explain their views on the Israeli government's actions in Gaza. One professor is quoted as telling their class to "avoid reading mainstream media, declaring that 'it is owned by Jews.'" Another professor allegedly revealed a student's complaint about an offensive comment regarding Jews by publicly displaying their email to fellow students.

Columbia University Task Force on Antisemitism: "One professor encountering a Jewish-sounding surname while reading names before an exam asked the student to explain their views on the Israeli government's actions in Gaza. Another told their class to avoid reading mainstream…

— Yair Rosenberg (@Yair_Rosenberg) June 16, 2024

 The report also highlights instances of professors encouraging students to participate in pro-Palestinian protests or the Gaza Solidarity Encampment for extra credit, or even conducting classes at protest sites. Jewish students wearing religious symbols reported having them torn from their person, while others were reportedly kicked out of student clubs for not wanting to participate in group actions and statements against Israel's right to exist.

The task force's findings are set to be published in the coming weeks in a new report focusing specifically on the experiences of Jewish students at Columbia University.

Meanwhile, Harvard Dean of Social Science Lawrence Bobo published an article in The Harvard Crimson titled, "Faculty speech must have limits." In the op-ed, Bobo writes that although freedom of speech is important, faculty should not bring to light incidents that will attract external attention and backlash.

This op-ed arguing that the freedom of speech shouldn't extend to faculty who denounce university leadership purports to be from the Dean of Social Science at Harvard but it is surely satire. https://t.co/Wwb3RkdPL8 pic.twitter.com/tdVudkvMW9

— Jameel Jaffer (@JameelJaffer) June 16, 2024

"Vigorous debate is to be expected and encouraged at any university interested in promoting freedom of expression. But here is the rub: As the events of the past year evidence, sharply critical speech from faculty, prominent ones especially, can attract outside attention that directly impedes the University's function," he wrote. "A faculty member's right to free speech does not amount to a blank check to engage in behaviors that plainly incite external actors – be it the media, alumni, donors, federal agencies, or the government – to intervene in Harvard's affairs."

https://t.co/kWxMnX9CEX

— Orin Kerr (@OrinKerr) June 16, 2024

 He also discussed the proper and improper way to conduct a protest, citing successful examples of "heroic actions of college students who burned draft cards in protest of the Vietnam War, registered black voters in Mississippi or Alabama, sat in at segregated lunch counters, or joined marches for women's liberation and gay rights." He urges the university to sanction "professors or administrators who encourage and advocate for such actions [improper protests]."

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In a concerning development at Cal. State University Los Angeles (CSULA), pro-Palestinian protesters barricaded a building, trapping Campus President Berenecea Johnson Eanes, inside her office. The protesters, who had already established encampments on another part of the campus more than a month ago, escalated their actions on June 12 by creating barriers with furniture, overturned golf carts, and tables in front of the Student Services Building and surrounding plaza.

BREAKING NEWS: 8 hours into the @CalStateLA student services building occupation:

- The entrance/exits are under the control of rogue pro-Pal activists and vandals

- A handful of employees, Including the University's President remain trapped and claim to be sheltering in place.… pic.twitter.com/AlibgrggOW

— Chris Cristi (@abc7chriscristi) June 13, 2024

 The college instructed employees within the Student Services Building to shelter in place, while employees elsewhere on campus were advised to leave. Erik Hollins, a campus spokesperson, confirmed the tense situation, stating, "I can confirm that there are still a small number of administrators in the building. We are working through options to bring this fluid situation to the best resolution possible."

The protesters, many of whom covered their faces, stationed themselves in front of the building's entrance, reinforcing their barricade with copy machines and furniture removed from inside the building. Pro-Palestinian graffiti covers many windows.

Pro-Hamas agitators have vandalized and barracaded the entrances to the student services building at Cal State L.A.

The school's president and several other faculty members are essentially being held hostage inside.

Karen Bass & Gavin Newsom are yet again, nowhere to be found. pic.twitter.com/eMYpVrAahW

— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) June 13, 2024

 While the presence of campus police appeared minimal, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has not been requested to intervene thus far. The school referred to the group as engaging in "unauthorized protest activity." Some protesters have even brought in food, supplies, and diapers, indicating their determination to maintain their occupation for an extended period.

Meanwhile, in a shocking revelation, top administrators at Columbia University were caught mocking and dismissing concerns raised by Jewish students and alumni about the alarming rise of antisemitism on campus. Leaked text messages between high-ranking officials, captured during a panel discussion on Jewish life at the university, expose a disturbing attitude of indifference and disdain toward the plight of the Jewish community.

The incident unfolded on May 31, during a panel discussion organized as part of the university's alumni reunion festivities. The panel, titled "The Past, Present, and Future of Jewish Life at Columbia," featured speakers such as the former dean of Columbia Law School, David Schizer, who co-chaired the university's task force on antisemitism, and a rising junior, Rebecca Massel, who covered the campus protests for the student newspaper.

Unbeknownst to the panelists, several top administrators were present in the audience, including Josef Sorett, the dean of Columbia College; Susan Chang-Kim, the vice dean and chief administrative officer of Columbia College; Cristen Kromm, the dean of undergraduate student life; and Matthew Patashnick, the associate dean for student and family support.

I am not shocked that deans at @Columbia aren't dismissive about Jewish students' concerns.

What I am shocked about is that they're accusing the Jews of exploiting this moment for "fundraising potential."

It's like they're following every antisemitic trope in the book. https://t.co/kRm7ZOO4LK

— Shai Davidai (@ShaiDavidai) June 13, 2024

Throughout the nearly two-hour panel, Chang-Kim was actively texting her colleagues, and they were responding in kind. As the panelists offered frank assessments of the climate Jewish students have faced, the administrators responded with mockery and vitriol, dismissing claims of antisemitism and suggesting, in Patashnick's words, that Jewish figures on campus were exploiting the moment for "fundraising potential."

The administrators expressed skepticism that Jewish students had experienced targeting or discrimination, with Chang-Kim questioning, "Did we really have students being kicked out of clubs for being Jewish? This is difficult to listen to but I'm trying to keep an open mind to learn about this point of view," Chang-Kim texted Sorett.

The text messages also used vomit emojis to describe an op-ed about antisemitism by Columbia's Campus Rabbi Yonah Hain. "And we thought Yonah sounded the alarm…" Kromm wrote derisively to Chang-Kim and Patashnick, referring to Hain's column expressing concern about the "normalization of Hamas" on campus.

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