At Columbia University recently, crowds of masked pro-Palestinian protesters stormed the library, beating drums, and chanting. Two public safety officers suffered injuries in the commotion. Former Columbia student Franziska Sittig said, “It’s just an utter disgrace to an institution of that calibre, and it just shows that neither the protesters nor the administration has learned anything.” The university said that most of the people in the crowd have no affiliation with the school, but of the more than 80 people arrested, police say all are students there. The school issued a statement, saying, “Columbia strongly condemns … antisemitism and all forms of hate and discrimination, some of which we witnessed today.” Across the country in Seattle, anti-Israel protestors caused an estimated one million dollars in damage this week, starting fires at the University of Washington. One year after pro-Hamas encampments sprang up at Columbia University and other schools around the country, many Jewish students say they still feel threatened.
DePaul University student Michael Kaminsky said, “It is clear that Jewish students are still unsafe on their campus. Now is the time we finally hold our institutions accountable.” Lawmakers grilled college presidents on Capitol Hill over reports of continued antisemitism and hostility on campuses. Wendy Raymond, president of Haverford College in Pennsylvania, told lawmakers, “At Haverford, we do not tolerate discrimination, or harassment or bias.” Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) replied, “And what does that mean ‘Not tolerate’? Suspension, firing the individual? What does that mean?” Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) asked, “Do you believe anti-Zionism is any more acceptable than antisemitism?” Raymond responded stating, “There is room for criticizing the government of any nation.” Prof. David Cole of Georgetown University said, “Of course, there’s a problem with antisemitism. There’s a problem with Islamophobia. There’s a problem with racism. There’s a problem with sexism.”
Lawmakers are warning schools that fail to crack down on antisemitism, they could lose federal funding, similar to what happened to Harvard. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that his office will review the visa status of each and every person involved in the Columbia violence, saying, “Pro-Hamas thugs are no longer welcome.” Please continue to join us in praying for Israel, her people, and the entire region.
Source: CBNNews