3 weeks ago
NEW YORK – As Columbia University officials proceed to discuss pinch a group of anti-Israel agitators who group up tents connected a section astatine nan bosom of campus, Jewish and Israeli students opportunity nan beingness and nan aggression of nan protesters has them acrophobic to locomotion done nan area aft sundown.
"I've had a friend who was beaten up," said Itai Driefuss, a third-year Columbia undergrad and Israeli subject seasoned from Tel Aviv. "It's scary. It's violent."
He pointed to a confrontation complete nan play wherever he said anti-Israel agitators confronted a group of counter-demonstrators who support nan confederation betwixt nan U.S. and Israel.
"You had Jewish group holding up nan American and Israeli flag, and group were holding up a motion that says, ‘Al-Quds adjacent target,'" he said, referring to nan militant Al-Quds Brigades, a Palestinian panic group aligned pinch Hamas. "It's nan aforesaid group who do autobus bombings and rape women and put babies successful an oven."
SPEAKER JOHNSON CALLS OUT CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM AS COLUMBIA'S ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS SHOUT AT, HECKLE HIM
Pro-Palestinian supporters rally extracurricular Columbia University connected April 23, 2024 successful New York City. In consequence to caller field unrest and anxieties regarding Jewish student safety, Columbia University President Minouche Shafik announced a displacement to online learning for Monday. She further urged module and unit to prioritize distant work. (Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched a astonishment onslaught that killed much than 1,200 Israelis and saw much than 200 kidnapped and held hostage. Israel's subject consequence is still underway, and protesters astatine a number of ample U.S. universities, including Columbia, USC, UT Austin and Yale person seen dozens of anti-Israel agitators arrested.
At Columbia, a group of protesters who group up tents connected schoolhouse grounds were kicked retired past week, only to return pinch much tents and inhabit nan West Lawn instead.
A masked demonstrator stands defender astatine a locked gross connected Columbia's West Lawn, wherever dozens of students person group up tents arsenic they request nan assemblage return a number of anti-Israel measures amid a conflict betwixt nan country's subject and Hamas terrorists who attacked connected Oct. 7, 2023. (Micheal Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
"It’s loud, and it’s scary, and a batch of Jewish and Israeli group don’t locomotion astir connected field aft nan sun goes down," Driefuss said.
WATCH: Columbia student describes tense, scary business connected field amid anti-Israel protests
ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS AT COLUMBIA ISSUE DEFIANT ULTIMATUM
Jewish students person told Fox News Digital they look harassment, antisemitic rhetoric and moreover unit successful confrontations pinch nan demonstrators. Multiple students who said they could remark connected behalf of nan encampment declined to speak pinch Fox News Digital.
Driefuss told Fox News Digital his girlfriend, besides Jewish, had been followed home. He said he had been told to termination himself, spit connected and shouted at.
"I don't deliberation that's immoderate measurement to person immoderate campus, wherever you person a large portion of your student assemblage conscionable frightened for their lives," he said.
A Columbia student prays adjacent a wall covered successful posters of hostages who stay successful captivity aft Hamas terrorists abducted them successful a astonishment onslaught connected Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023. (Michael Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
Driefuss, speaking successful beforehand of a wall covered successful missing personification fliers dedicated to nan remaining Israel hostages, said he believed nan demonstrators' refusal to moreover speak pinch Jewish students aliases Israel supporters near them successful an echo enclosure to go "even much radicalized".
COLUMBIA STUDENT SUSPENDED AFTER ALLEGED ‘FART SPRAY’ ATTACK DURING PRO-PALESTINIAN RALLY SUES SCHOOL
"I think, a batch of nan narrative, particularly wrong nan camp, is not to prosecute successful to anyone who looks for illustration Zionist aliases Jewish," he said.
School leaders person been negotiating pinch nan occupiers for days but person truthful acold declined to inquire constabulary to clear them retired a 2nd time.
Columbia University president Minouche Shafik leaves nan Low Memorial Library connected nan field of Columbia University, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The embattled president, who's nether unit to resign her post, reportedly met pinch Speaker of nan United States House of Representatives Mike Johnson earlier his reside astatine nan assemblage earlier. (Fox News Digital)
"I very overmuch dream these discussions are successful," Columbia President Minouche Shafik said successful a connection Thursday. "If they are not, we will person to see replacement options for clearing nan West Lawn and restoring calm to field truthful that students tin complete nan word and graduate."
Anti-Israel agitators conception an encampment connected Columbia University’s field successful New York City connected Monday, April 22, 2024. The assemblage announced that each classes would beryllium held virtually coming successful consequence to nan ongoing demonstrations connected campus. (Peter Gerber)
She besides said nan schoolhouse planned to return action against students who violated nan school's codes of conduct.
Speaker of nan House Mike Johnson leaves Columbia University successful New York City connected Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Johnson called connected Columbia University president Minouche Shafik to resign up of his reside connected field earlier coming arsenic student-led anti-Israel protests escalate. (Fox News Digital)
"We are moving to place protesters who violated our policies against favoritism and harassment, and they will beryllium put done due disciplinary processes," she said. "The correct to protestation is basal and protected astatine Columbia, but harassment and favoritism is antithetical to our values and an affront to our committedness to beryllium a organization of communal respect and kindness."
House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared connected field Wednesday to telephone connected Shafik to resign if nan protests aren't reined in.
Students move a shelter wrong Columbia University connected April 24, 2024 successful New York City. Columbia University student organizers were fixed a midnight deadline to resoluteness talks pinch nan assemblage complete dismantling nan pro-Palestinian encampment, pinch Columbia President Minouche Shafik considering "alternative options" if nary statement was reached – but past she pushed backmost nan deadline. (Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)
Some Jewish students and critics of nan university's actions truthful acold person accused nan management of antisemitic favoritism arsenic well.
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Earlier this month, different Israeli subject seasoned who attends Columbia revenge a suit accusing nan schoolhouse of harshly punishing him for utilizing "fart spray" connected anti-Israel activists while turning a unsighted oculus to their antisemitic rhetoric.
