The new term at Columbia University started off the same way the last one ended. Masked pro-Hamas protesters invaded a class on the History of Modern Israel, chanting and distributing antisemitic flyers.
The reason for the masks is more than COVID fanaticism or just the ordinary desire of antisemites to hide their faces. Donald Trump signed an executive order that enables the deportation of foreign students and other non-students who express support for Hamas and Hezbollah.
"The United States must ensure that admitted aliens and aliens otherwise already present in the United States do not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles, and do not advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to our national security," the executive order stated.
The pro-Hamas protesters at Columbia were predictably clownish. They handed out pro-Hamas flyers showing an Israeli flag on fire and the words “Burn Zionism to the ground.” Another flyer showed that black boot stamping on a Star of David.
They really need to hire better PR people to invent slogans that aren't completely idiotic and banal.
On the first day of classes, anti-Israel protestors interrupted @Columbia’s “History of Modern Israel” class and handed out flyers showing a boot crushing a Star of David. Columbia is out of control. And to be clear, there is no “academic freedom” to disrupt classes. pic.twitter.com/n0x9d0AxHw
— Columbia Jewish & Israeli Students ✡️🇮🇱 (@CUJewsIsraelis) January 21, 2025
Student Lishi Baker, 22, a Middle East history major whose class was disrupted Tuesday, told The Post the posters “looked like images we might see in 1930s Germany.
“This movement continues to reveal itself as pro-terror … they spit in the face of liberal values and create an intolerable hostile environment for Jewish students.”
Following Tuesday’s disruption, visiting professor Avi Shilon told The Post he was mostly concerned for the safety of his class.
“They just want to frighten my students … I was very much disappointed with the students who came to the class because if you are learning at Columbia, which is an Ivy League university, you should respect first and foremost the need to learn to study the subject before protesting.
“They act very aggressively… these things like that can happen in the street but not within the university, not within the class," said Professor Shilon, who is teaching the class in modern Israeli history.
Meanwhile, Columbia's administration issued a strongly worded message condemning the disruption.
“No group of students has a right to disrupt another group of students in a Columbia classroom,” university interim president Katrina Armstrong said in a statement. “We want to be absolutely clear that any act of antisemitism, or other form of discrimination, harassment, or intimidation against members of our community is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
At least it's "strongly worded."
Former Columbia President Minouche Shafik wilted under the glare of TV lights and a congressional investigation and was forced to resign. One of her last acts was to dismiss a pro-Hamas student, Khymani James, who said on a social media video, “Zionists don’t deserve to live." Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) apologized on James behalf.
In October, it rescinded the apology and called for a violent armed struggle against Israel.
Columbia is a mess, and it's the fault of the administration who, when it wasn't supporting the pro-Hamas protesters, was coddling them by not punishing them for being arrested.
It doesn't look like the new president has a handle on things, either.
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