The White House criticized a Columbia University student for his comments about “killing Zionists,” and the student was subsequently banned from the university’s campus.
Kaimani James, a junior at Columbia University, was arrested early Friday morning after a video of her previously suggesting people should be “thankful” they didn’t “murder Zionists” went viral online. He expressed his “regret.”
James made the initially reported inflammatory comment without explicitly mentioning what it was. daily wireduring a livestream of Columbia’s official investigation in January.
Columbia student expelled from campus for saying ‘kill Zionists’
“These dangerous and appalling statements are upsetting and should serve as a wake-up call,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates told Fox News Digital. “Defending the murder of Jews is terrible. President Biden has made it clear that violent rhetoric, hate speech, and anti-Semitic rhetoric have no place in the United States, and he has always spoken out against them. I will stand up.”
Kaimani James, a junior at Columbia University, was arrested early Friday morning after a video of her previously suggesting people should be “thankful” they didn’t “murder Zionists” went viral online. He expressed his “regret.” (Getty Images)
Asked by Axios if a White House staffer would be fired for making such comments, Bates replied, “I would be fired immediately.”
A Columbia University spokesperson announced Friday that James has been banned from campus, and university officials told Fox News Digital that disciplinary proceedings are currently underway.
The university previously issued a campus update calling the video “extremely disturbing and upsetting.”
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“Calls for or statements of violence that target individuals based on religious, ethnic, or national identity are unacceptable and violate university policy,” the statement said. “Any violation of the student conduct policy will be reviewed and disciplinary action will be taken.”
“We know that many of you feel threatened by the atmosphere and the language used, and have had to leave campus,” Columbia University said in a statement released Friday by the president’s office. I mentioned it in the. “That is unacceptable. And many of you are worried about whether you will be able to speak up for the causes you are passionate about. That is also unacceptable. Fundamental to the mission of education is academic freedom and an environment free from discrimination and discrimination.” Harassment against all members of our community. ”
“What are Zionists? White supremacists,” James said in a resurfaced video.
A Columbia University spokesperson announced Friday that James has been banned from campus, and university officials told Fox News Digital that disciplinary proceedings are currently underway. (Getty Images)
“Thank God I’m not just going out and killing Zionists,” he said at another point. “I have never hurt anyone in my life, and I hope to continue to do so.”
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James was recently cited by news outlets including CBS News and the New York Times as a spokesperson for anti-Israel protests in Colombia. In 2021, at the age of 17, he was profiled in the Boston Globe for his “confrontational” approach to fighting “injustice.”
President Joe Biden has not yet visited Columbia University, but he has recently come under fire for his comments on whether he would condemn anti-Israel protests on campus.
President Joe Biden has not yet visited Columbia University, but he has recently come under fire for his comments on whether he would condemn anti-Israel protests on campus. (AP Photo/Damien Dovarganes)
Following the president’s Earth Day comments in Prince William Forest Park, Virginia, reporters caught up with Biden and asked him, “Do you condemn anti-Semitic protests on college campuses?”
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“I condemn the anti-Semitic protests. That is why I launched a program to combat it. I also condemn those who do not understand what is happening to the Palestinians,” he said. answered.
Fox News’ Alexa Moutevelis and Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
