Columbia U. president defends record against claims of rampant campus antisemitism

Columbia University President Nemat Shafik tells a Congressional hearing that she unequivocally denounces antisemitism on her campus, rebutting claims that she has allowed Columbia to become a hotbed of hatred.

“We condemn the antisemitism that is so pervasive today,” she says in an opening statement at a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing. “Antisemitism has no place on our campus, and I am personally committed to doing everything I can to confront it directly.”

With the advantage of hindsight, Shafik acknowledges there has been a rise in antisemitism on Columbia’s campus but says it’s far from pervasive, describing instead a campus split mostly over political differences. The “vast majority” of demonstrations have been peaceful, she said, and officials have worked to unite students.

“We brought in extra security expertise and had regular contact with NYPD and the FBI,” she says. “I have spent most of my time since becoming president on these issues, holding over 200 meetings with groups of students, faculty, alumni, donors, parents, some of whom are here, and 20 meetings with other university presidents to learn from each other.”

Her vision clashes with one presented by Republicans in Congress and some Jewish students who say antisemitism has gone unchecked at Columbia. As evidence, they cited a Jewish student who was hit with a stick on campus while putting up posters of Israeli hostages, and protesters yelled chants that some consider a call for the genocide of Jews.

Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., chair of the committee, says the school has done too little and acted too late to address antisemitism on campus.

“Columbia stands guilty of gross negligence at best and, at worst, has become a platform for those supporting terrorism and violence against Jewish people,” she says.

Foxx and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., appear with Jewish students from Columbia who say they have faced threats and physical confrontation. They describe a student who had Star of David necklaces torn off while walking to class and taunts from students who say “the Holocaust wasn’t that special.”

Stefanik says Republicans will hold Columbia accountable for failing to protect students.

“Despite claims otherwise, Columbia’s leadership refuses to enforce their own policies and condemn Jewish hatred on campus, creating a breeding ground for antisemitism and a hotbed of support for terrorism from radicalized faculty and students,” she says.