The Israeli-born Columbia University professor who gained notoriety for criticizing the university’s failure to address rampant anti-Semitism on campus is under investigation into the embattled Ivey faculty this week. revealed. He said the investigation was “a clear act of retaliation and an attempt to silence me.” ”
Shai Davidai is an assistant professor at Columbia Business School. I wrote it on Friday He announced to his approximately 35,000 “X” followers that the university had opened an investigation into his “advocacy for the university’s Jewish and Israeli students and faculty.”
“Simply saying that civil rights are being violated does not begin to understand the conditions that Jews and Israelis now have to endure on campus,” he wrote.
Davidai, who considers himself “the most vocal faculty member in the United States and perhaps the world” against anti-Semitism, declined to provide details of the investigation launched last month by Columbia University’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action. There wasn’t.
“I hate Islamophobia and bigotry of all kinds,” he told the Post, adding that he supports Palestinian rights.
“My problem is with Hamas and support for Hamas. I guess the university somehow thinks that supporting terrorism is a protected class. That might be the only explanation for this investigation.”
Davidai, who has worked at Columbia University for five years apart from his livelihood, argued that what was at issue was “the ability of professors to point out wrongdoing at the university.”
“If they come after me, I can’t even imagine everything else.” [faculty] They achieve much less and are silenced by the educational institutions,” he said, adding that other colleagues have confided in them that “it may not be worth publishing” in opposition to school policy. added.
The embattled Ivey is under investigation by Congress and the U.S. Department of Education, and faces two lawsuits filed by nearly 20 Jewish students alleging civil rights violations.
“Columbia University is a particularly egregious example of anti-Semitism on a campus that the government has refused to address for years,” said Gerald Filitti, a lawyer with the pro-Jewish human rights and civil rights group Lawfare Project. ” he said.
Mr. Filitti accused the school of “double standards” that “existed long before October 7,” and said that students and faculty had been accused of anti-Semitism on campus and pro-Hamas on campus. and accused pro-Palestinian protesters of “double standards” who had complained of danger, intimidation, harassment and bullying. Including the professor. ”
“We do not comment on personnel matters. As a general matter, when the university receives a formal complaint, it will review and consider the complaint based on established processes,” a Columbia University spokesperson said. Ta.
Mr. Davidei’s lawyer, Mark W. Lerner, a partner at Kasowitz Benson Torres, told the Post: Mr. Davidai’s demand that Columbia University implement policies to protect these students is a flagrant, discriminatory and illegal act of retaliation aimed at silencing him. It won’t succeed. ”
