House Republicans grill Columbia University president over rampant campus antisemitism

House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair Rep. Virginia Foxx R-N.C., speaks during the hearing on “Columbia in Crisis: Columbia University’s Response to Antisemitism” on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Columbia President Minouche Shafik aced the biggest test at Wednesday’s House hearing on campus antisemitism, but she was no match for House Republicans who caught her in multiple contradictions related to the school’s reaction to anti-Jewish hate.

Ms. Shafik, who became Columbia’s 20th president last July 1, acknowledged that antisemitism at the New York City university has become “far too pervasive.” “You don’t think those are anti-Jewish?” asked Ms. Stefanik. The president agreed they were “completely anti-Jewish” but that protests were labeled as anti-Israeli government events where “anti-Jewish things were said.”Ms. Shafik also struggled when asked whether the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” was antisemitic. She said that some people did view it as antisemitic, while others did not.

The North Carolina Republican said that from Oct. 7 to March 23, only three students were given interim suspensions for antisemitic conduct, and that all three were lifted or reduced to probation, including a student “who repeatedly harassed students, screaming ‘f*** the Jews.’” “Dr. Shafik’s testimony was misleading there, too,” said Ms. Foxx. “Documents Columbia produced to the committee show that the substance sprayed was a non-toxic gag spray. While that was an inappropriate action, for months, Jewish students have been vilified with false accusations of a ‘chemical attack,’ and Columbia failed to correct the record.”

Rep. Aaron Bean, Florida Republican, congratulated the Columbia officials for saying “the right things,” but argued that their words failed to match their actions, given the rising fear among Jewish students on the Manhattan campus.

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