The leader of Columbia University’s anti-Israel camp has come under fire after a new video of him publicly enraging students saying “Zionists don’t deserve to live” has been released.
Kaimani James, who they say they refer to by pronouns “he/she/they,” made the disturbing remark during a meeting with university officials in January, which students livestreamed and later posted on social media. There was a lot of fuss in the media.
“Zionists are not entitled to live comfortably, much less Zionists are entitled to live,” the students filmed themselves saying.
“We are so comfortable accepting that Nazis don’t deserve to live, fascists don’t deserve to live, racists don’t deserve to live, Zionists don’t deserve to live in this world. the same as.”
“Thank God I’m not just going out and killing Zionists,” James added. “I have never hurt anyone in my life, and I hope to continue to do so.”
According to the video, James made offensive comments while being criticized by staff at Columbia University’s Center for Student Success Intervention over a past Instagram post. daily wire.
In the post in question, James, a spokesperson for Columbia University’s anti-Israel student group Apartheid Divest, warned Zionists who wanted to “come together and fight” that they would “fight to kill.” Ta.
“Do you see why that would be a problem?” asked Colombian officials during the meeting, to which Mr. James replied, “No.”
“I feel very comfortable, very comfortable calling for those people to die,” James said, according to the video. “That being said, Kaimani has signed out.”
It was not immediately clear whether the meeting was a disciplinary hearing or what its outcome was.
Footage of James’ remarks began circulating on social media Thursday as destructive anti-Israel protests intensified on Ivy League campuses.
James, who was seen giving a rally-style address inside the Colombian encampment this week, hit back: a half-hearted apology In it, they claimed that they too were victims.
“On Thursday, a video of me filmed in January began circulating online. What I said was wrong. Every member of our community has the right to feel safe even if they are not entitled. ,” they said in a statement posted to X.
“I also wish people would understand more of the context behind my words, which is unfortunate. I scoured my media feeds for months. At the time I recorded this, I was being targeted by an online mob because I was clearly queer and black, and I was unusually upset.”
“I’m frustrated that the words I said in an Instagram live video are interfering with the Palestinian liberation movement. I was so quick to say the wrong thing that I apologize,” he added.
