USA: Anti-Israel protests hit elite universities Columbia, MIT and Yale

In view of the growing tensions caused by the war between Israel and the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas, New York’s renowned Columbia University switched teaching to online mode on Monday. In the past few days there have been too many examples of “intimidating and harassing behavior on our campus,” wrote university president Nemat Shafik in an open letter.

“Anti-Semitic statements, as well as other statements intended to hurt and frighten people, are unacceptable and appropriate action will be taken,” she continued. To de-escalate and “to give us all an opportunity to think about the next steps, I am announcing that all classes on Monday will be held virtually.”

Biden condemns “blatant anti-Semitism”

US President Joe Biden also commented on the events, but did not mention Columbia University by name. “Even in the past few days we have experienced harassment and calls for violence against Jews,” it said in a statement. “This blatant anti-Semitism is reprehensible and dangerous – and it has absolutely no place on campus or anywhere in our country.” We have to raise our voices against anti-Semitism, said Biden. “Silence is complicity.”

A rabbi had already warned his Jewish students at Columbia University. As several US media outlets unanimously reported on Sunday afternoon (local time), Rabbi Elie Buechler wrote: “It pains me deeply to have to tell you that I strongly recommend that you return home as quickly as possible and stay there until the “The situation on campus and in the surrounding area has dramatically improved.”

Protest at Columbia University in New York

On Sunday night there were violent anti-Semitic statements during the demonstration, as numerous videos on the X platform (formerly Twitter) show. In one, participants can be heard shouting: “We say justice, you say how? Burn Tel Aviv to the ground.” In another recording, the Jewish students are asked to go back to Poland. From the rabbi’s perspective, the events made it clear that neither the university nor the police could guarantee the safety of Jewish students.

The police had already cleared a pro-Palestinian tent camp on campus on Thursday and arrested around 100 participants. Despite repeated requests, they refused to dismantle the camp, as a police spokesman said at a press conference. The daughter of prominent Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar was reportedly among those arrested.

University management asked the police for help

Columbia President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik herself asked the police for help. “I have taken this extraordinary step because these are extraordinary circumstances,” she wrote in a statement. “The people who set up the camp violated a long list of rules and policies.” According to reports, the situation has worsened since then.

Meanwhile, protests spread to other universities. There were demonstrations at the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), at the University of Michigan and at the elite Yale University. At least 47 participants were arrested at Yale on Monday after they failed to comply with requests to leave. “The university made the decision to detain the individuals who refused to leave the field with the safety of the entire Yale community in mind,” the university said.

Harvard prohibits student group activity

At Harvard, university representatives banned the pro-Palestinian solidarity committee from further activity on Monday, as the student group announced on the online service Instagram. They were ordered to stop “all organizational activities” for the remainder of the semester or risk permanent expulsion, the Harvard Crimson student newspaper reported.

Since the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and the resulting war in the Gaza Strip, a deep division has emerged at elite US universities. Students, professors and administration are engaged in bitter disputes that have also spread to online networks. This involves allegations of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and threats to freedom of expression.

Israel’s actions have consequences in the USA

Hamas, classified as a terrorist organization by the USA and the EU, carried out an unprecedented major attack on Israel on October 7th and, according to Israeli information, killed 1,170 people and kidnapped around 250 others as hostages in the Gaza Strip.

Since then, Israel has taken massive military action in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, 34,183 people have been killed so far. Israel’s harsh actions and the humanitarian emergency in the Palestinian territory are increasingly met with international criticism.