The Orthodox rabbi at Columbia University and Barnard College issued a message advising Jewish students to leave campus and return home, as anti-Israel agitators have maintained an “encampment” on campus, with participants caught on camera espousing full support for terrorism and advocating violence against Jewish students.
Rabbi Elie Buechler, director of OU-LJIC at Columbia/Barnard, sent a WhatsApp message to hundreds before the start of Passover, advising students to leave “as soon as possible” until the situation improved, stating that “what we are witnessing on and around campus is terrible and tragic.”
“The events of the last few days, especially last night, have made it clear that Columbia University’s Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy,” Buechler said in a statement. “It deeply pains me to say that I would strongly recommend you return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality on and around campus has dramatically improved.”
The rabbi said, “It is not our responsibility as Jews to ensure our own safety on campus.” No one should have to deal with this amount of vitriol, especially at school.”
House GOP Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., requested on Sunday that Columbia University President Dr. Nemat “Minouche” Shafik “immediately resign” given how Columbia’s leadership “has clearly lost control of its campus” within the last 24 hours, “putting Jewish students’ safety at risk.”
Stefanik claimed that Columbia’s hours of preparation for their statement before the House Education and Workforce Committee hearing last week “clearly were an attempt to cover up for their abject failure to enforce their own campus rules and protect Jewish students on campus.”
Shafik released the more than 100 people arrested and suspended from the university on Thursday, despite allowing the New York Police Department on campus the day after her testimony before Congress, during which lawmakers grilled her about the lack of consequences for antisemitism at the Ivy League school.
The anti-Israel encampment on the sealed campus has persisted, as police officers observe from across the gates.
The video circulating online appears to go beyond simply supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement or human rights pleas for Palestinians in Gaza, with speakers describing the Columbia encampment as a “training ground” for “fighters” and praising the Oct. 7 attacks, in which Hamas militants slaughtered nearly 1,200 Jews and kidnapped 240.
In addition to “Free, Free Palestine,” crowds have chanted, “Al-Qassam, you make us proud; kill another soldier now!” “We say justice; you say how.” Burn Tel Aviv to the ground!” and “We love Hamas.” We’ll also support your rockets!”
One anti-Israel protester was observed holding a placard that stated, “Al-Qasam’s (sic) next targets” and pointing at a group of Jewish students who were chanting and waving the Israeli flag. The Al-Qassam Brigade is Hamas’ military wing.
Another video shows activists yelling at Jewish students leaving college, “Go back to Europe,” and “All you do is colonize.”
Ben Shapiro, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show” podcast and a frequent speaker on campuses across the country, criticized how universities “have spent literally years telling conservatives on campus to shut up—that they might’microaggress’ [the] sensibilities of far-left students by saying that boys can’t be girls and the like.”
“They’ve spent those years coddling radical leftists who intentionally undermine the actual operation of colleges.” The recent protests at Columbia had no peaceful intentions. Shapiro explained, “They intended to intimidate and harass.” He recalled how the most recent protests featured pro-Hamas people cheering Oct. 7, promising a fresh Oct. 7 “every day” and yelling, “We’re all Hamas.”
“Columbia has no obligation to coddle terror supporters who harass students and obstruct the functioning of the university,” Shapiro stated in a press release. “Columbia spent months doing this after October 7.” There is already a lawsuit claiming that “Jewish and Israeli students have been physically assaulted, spat at, threatened, and subjected to relentless intimidation and vilification.”
Shai Davidai, a Jewish lecturer at Columbia University who gained notoriety in October for his criticism of the school’s inaction on antisemitism, suggested calling in the National Guard if the NYPD was unable to act.
“[Shafik] needs to unlock the university’s gates. And the NYPD needs to step in and disperse the gathering, arresting everyone who refuses. Keep them in jail.” And if the NYPD can’t do it, we’ll need the National Guard,” Davidai told Fox News Digital. “With all of the troubled history the National Guard has had on American campuses, if Columbia can’t keep the Jewish students safe, and if the police [can’t] keep the Jewish students safe, then the National Guard must, because this is a civil rights problem.” This isn’t about the conflict in Israel.” This is a Jewish civil rights issue.”
“This is a hostile takeover of the university,” he said. “It’s a clash between Hamas supporters and Western culture. The showdown is taking place on Columbia’s campus.”
House Republicans quizzed Shafik on Wednesday about the ramifications of Columbia academics Joseph Massad, Katherine Franke, and Mohamed Abdou’s celebration of October 7. The university president vowed that Abdou would never return to Columbia, but he remained silent on whether his dean had penalized Massad for his remarks or removed him as committee chair.
“Professor Joseph Massad described Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel as a’resistance offensive’ designed to fight ‘racism toward the Palestinians,'” Shapiro said in an interview with Fox News Digital.” Professor Katherine Franke stated, “All Israeli students who served in the IDF are dangerous and should not be on campus.” On October 11, Professor Mohamed Abdou stated on social media, ‘I’m with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad.’ It’s unfortunate that Columbia chose to bend over backwards to satisfy its pro-Hamas radicals until now.”
Davidai stated that the demonstrations at Columbia “have never been about human rights.”
“From the very first moment, these protests were about justifying rape as a means to an end,” he stated, referring to the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack. “That is not about human rights.”
Davidai is seeking that Columbia authorities accept a police escort on Monday to “peacefully” sit in the middle of the encampment, according to Fox News Digital. “We will not engage with the opposing side, but we require protection. And I’ll be there whether I get the protection or not. And whatever happens is Columbia University’s responsibility.
