The House’s sweeping investigation into anti-Semitic hatred at elite universities expanded Monday to include investigations into Columbia University and Barnard College.
New York universities received a 16-page letter from Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, saying there were “grave concerns” about anti-Semitism on campus. I warned you.
This comes days after an anti-Semitic poster depicting a skunk with a Star of David was posted on Columbia University’s Upper West Side campus.
Fox accused them of “failing to protect Jewish students” before and after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, and said they had to hand over information about their response to anti-Semitic attacks and to compel radical pro-Palestinian groups. demanded of both.
“Columbia’s response to anti-Semitism on campus is inadequate,” the letter to five Columbia and Barnard officials, including Columbia University President Minoush Shafik and Barnard College President Laura Rosenberry, said. There are serious concerns about this.”
The committee said in December that on-campus questioning of Harvard University President Claudine Gay and University of Pennsylvania President Liz McGill violated campus rules by calling for the slaughter of Jews. This is the same committee that apologized and resigned in response to Gay’s comments that it was up to him to decide whether or not he would be able to do so. context. ”
The letter demands that both schools submit documents containing information about the December 12 demonstration by two anti-Israel groups, Students for Justice Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). The demonstration had already been banned from campus.
Despite the ban, the group chanted “from the river to the sea” and “Long live the intifada, intifada, intifada, long live the intifada,” the House committee claimed.
“According to the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, several Barnard College deans passed by the event but were unable to stop it, and at least one Jewish student was assaulted at the event,” the letter states.
The letter warned that “Columbia University’s environment has been documented to be permeated with anti-Semitism for more than 20 years, prior to the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023,” and went on to say that the school’s history of anti-Semitism began in 2004. has recorded several reports of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States.
The letter cites a 2016 report by the Jewish publication Allgemeiner that ranked Columbia University No. 1 on a list of the 40 worst universities for Jewish students in the United States and Canada. Three years later, the watchdog group Alums for Campus Fairness has documented dozens of anti-Semitic incidents at both Barnard and Columbia schools.
“The document identifies Columbia University and Barnard College as ‘perhaps the most prominent theaters of university-based anti-Semitism in the United States,'” the letter states.
and details a series of anti-Semitic incidents at schools in the wake of the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, including a “die-in” staged by both SJP and JVP on October 12th. are doing.
“After the rally, the crowd of protesters moved towards the university’s craft center.
Jewish life, buildings closed, Jewish students evacuated
I’m inside,” the letter reads.
“During the protest, a Jewish student holding an Israeli flag was shouted at as a ‘murderer,’ and another Jewish student who came out of the protest had his Israeli flag torn off his body, and then walked down the subway stairs. was thrown into.”
The letter asks the Office of the President, the Governor, the General Counsel, and the “Columbia Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” to “recognize anti-Semitic acts since January 1, 2021. “All reports regarding incidents, communications, etc.” are requested.
The committee also requested all documents and communications reflecting the funding sources of groups such as Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine and Columbia Bernard Jewish Voice for Peace.
A Colombian spokesperson said the country would cooperate with the investigation and said: “We are committed to combating anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred.” We received a letter from Chairman Fox and will fully cooperate with any investigation.” Barnard College did not respond to a request for comment.
