Opinion | Columbia’s Surrender to Hatred on Campus
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As a Jewish Columbia University student walking past chants of “Yahoodi [Jew], f— you,” and being threatened that “every day will be Oct. 7,” I appreciate President Minouche Shafik’s courage in bringing the NYPD to campus last Thursday. She finally took a tangible step supporting her congressional testimony to “forcefully and relentlessly reject” antisemitism. The terrorist-glorifying protesters, far from desiring peace, are the left-wing counterparts to the Charlottesville mob that chanted “Jews will not replace us.”
After the initial NYPD action, however, the complete destruction of Columbia’s learning environment has again persisted for days (“Columbia Fails to Protect Its Jewish Community” by Michael Oren, op-ed, April 20). More precisely, Columbia has allowed it to persist. No wonder anti-Israel organizers declare victory.
On Thursday, as part of a group of counterprotesters peacefully singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” I was told by an NYPD officer that my safety was at risk and was advised to leave campus immediately. The conditions on campus are dangerous for students who hold other points of view, especially Jews.
The lack of substantial disciplinary consequences over the past six months for breaking Columbia policy has emboldened these campus antisemites to escalate. I implore President Shafik to follow through with campus removals of faculty, students and outside instigators, followed by suspensions, expulsions and terminations, to restore Columbia University’s safe campus and reputation.
Michael Lippman
New York
As I watched some protesters at Columbia chant, “We are all Hamas,” I wished they knew Arabic, so they would fully understand Hamas declarations. I was born in Baghdad and finished college there before immigrating to the U.S., so I am fluent in Arabic. Hamas has announced that the reason for the Oct. 7 attack is that Jews praying around the Al Aqsa Mosque (on the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site) dirty the site. They declare that Jews come from monkeys and pigs and that God will conspire with Hamas-like extremist Muslims to kill all Jews.
The analogy would be someone claiming that blacks shouldn’t pray at the Vatican because they will dirty it. How would those students react to such racist remarks?
Palestinians deserve the dignity of self-determination and peace like the rest of us. But Hamas is probably among the worst things that ever happened to them.
N. Peter Antone
Farmington Hills, Mich.
As a high-school junior, I am considering where to apply for college. I had found myself drawn to Columbia University, where my father went, but recent events give me pause.
The director of the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus at Columbia has recommended that Jews return home until campus conditions improve. I can’t imagine that I would attend a university that would force me to compromise my identity to obtain an education. I hope that the intimidation taking place at Columbia won’t be tolerated any longer, and that Columbia will again become a safe place for Jewish students.
As Columbia doesn’t appear committed to protecting people of all faiths at present, I will shy away from applying there. There are other schools with greater tolerance of diversity and respect for all.
Zachary Kochin
New York
The recent protest at Columbia was organized by students demanding the university divest from financial interests in corporations with ties to Israel. I suggest we take it one step further: Could those students publish their names, so business owners like me and other corporations with ties to Israel (Google, Intel, etc.) don’t waste time and make sure never to hire those people who don’t share our corporate values?
Daniel Rubin
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Appeared in the April 24, 2024, print edition as 'Columbia’s Surrender to Hatred on Campus'.
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