Gov. Kathy Hokul will meet virtually with New York state university presidents to prevent further unrest on campuses after anti-Israel protests this spring turned to vandalism and violence.
According to information obtained by The Post, the “SuperZoom” meeting is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon and will bring together presidents of public and private universities across New York state to discuss safety plans for the new academic year.
Classes at most universities start this week or after Labor Day, but authorities are on high alert after earlier protests stoked anti-Semitism and made Jewish students nervous.
“Governor Hokele is committed to ensuring all college students have a safe environment to learn in,” Hokele’s spokesman, Avi Small, told The Post on Sunday.
“To that end, she is convening presidents of public and private universities across New York to discuss safety plans for the upcoming semester and to reiterate that there is no place in New York for hate, bigotry or anti-Semitism.”
The Governor’s office is developing an interagency plan to address campus security, which includes representatives from the State Legislature, New York State Police and the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.
Haukle directed his team to work with universities to ensure a safe return to campus this fall, and ahead of that he has dispatched State Operations Director Katherine Garcia to meet with school leaders to discuss a plan of action.
“I want to know your safety plans. How are you preparing to protect students on campus? Every student has the right to walk freely, to attend class and to be free from harassment,” Hawkle said last week ahead of the meeting.
Haukl has yet to release a report he ordered last fall to investigate allegations of anti-Semitism on the CUNY campus, an investigation led by former state Supreme Court Justice Jonathan Lippman.
The Gaza conflict, which began with Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has sparked protests across the country. At a New York university, clashes broke out on campuses dominated by pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian students. Outside pro-Hamas agitators also infiltrated demonstrations on campus.
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik recently announced his resignation following unrest that included Hamas-backed protesters occupying and vandalizing Hamilton Hall, and police making dozens of arrests, though almost none of them faced prosecution or expulsion.
At City College’s Harlem campus, anti-Israel criminals caused at least $3 million in damage, necessitating additional taxpayer-funded security.
At Cooper Union, 10 Jewish students have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that school officials failed to protect them and their classmates from anti-Semitism in a 2023 incident in which they locked themselves in a campus library while angry pro-Palestinian protesters marched nearby.
Columbia University, Cornell University and Cooper Union are among the universities under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education following complaints of widespread anti-Semitism and Islamophobia on campus.
Meanwhile, CUNY entered into a settlement agreement in June with the New York City Department of Education to resolve nine discrimination complaints alleging anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other incidents of harassment, including many that occurred before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel.
Jewish advocacy groups Secure Communities Network and Hillel International recently announced campus safety initiatives to protect Jewish students and staff at more than 50 universities across the U.S. during the fall semester.
The training instructs Jewish students on how to respond if confronted by protesters and how to report incidents to police.
