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Rep. Virginia Foxx, chair of nan House Education and nan Workforce Committee, sent a missive to Columbia University leaders demanding they return action against nan anti-Israel protests connected field that person made Jewish students consciousness unsafe.
Foxx's missive connected Sunday was addressed to Columbia President Minouche Shafik and Columbia Trustees Co-Chairs David Greenwald and Claire Shipman.
"I americium gravely concerned by nan ongoing chaos astatine Columbia University caused by nan radical, unlawful Gaza Solidarity Encampment, which has now entered its 5th day," Foxx, R-N.C., wrote. "The encampment and related activities person created a terrible and pervasive dispute situation for Jewish students astatine Columbia. A Jewish chaplain astatine nan University has recommended Jewish students depart campus owed to nan University’s inability to guarantee their safety. Multiple Jewish students person already sought shelter off-campus."
"Columbia's continued nonaccomplishment to reconstruct bid and information promptly to field constitutes a awesome breach of nan University’s Title VI obligations, upon which national financial assistance is contingent, and which must instantly beryllium rectified," she continued. "If you do not rectify this danger, past nan Committee will not hesitate successful holding you accountable."
ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS OCCUPY COLUMBIA CAMPUS AS UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT FACES GRILLING FROM CONGRESS
Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., called connected Columbia University leaders to return action against nan increasing anti-Israel protests connected campus. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Anti-Israel agitators occupied Columbia's southbound section successful New York City for hours connected Wednesday arsenic Shafik testified earlier Congress astir antisemitism connected nan university's campus.
An encampment pinch tents was group up connected nan main section of field and nan protests continued into nan nighttime for respective days.
Protests astatine nan assemblage person called for an intifada and nan decease of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. One Jewish Columbia University student was told to "kill yourself" and was many times kicked successful nan stomach.
Foxx wrote: "The encampment and related activities person resulted successful wide antisemitic harassment and intimidation, assaults, predominant ceremony of terrorism, and awesome disruptions of Columbia’s learning environment. … The Committee is alert of aggregate Jewish students seeking shelter off-campus owed to their well-founded fears regarding their beingness information and continuing to beryllium subjected to what is intelligibly a dispute environment."
On Thursday, nan New York City Police Department arrested 108 group who refused to time off nan encampment, each of whom was issued a summons for trespassing. The assemblage besides began handing retired suspension notices to nan students who were arrested.
"This business is unacceptable, and it is imperative that Columbia’s leaders reconstruct bid and information without further delay, successful statement pinch their commitments earlier nan Committee astatine its April 17 hearing," Foxx said, referring to comments made by Shafik, Greenwald and Shipman stressing nan value of student safety.
WHITE HOUSE CONDEMNS 'BLATANTLY ANTISEMITIC' PROTESTS AS AGITATORS ENGULF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Pro-Palestinian protesters stitchery on NYPD lines extracurricular of Columbia University’s field successful New York City connected Thursday. (Peter Gerber for Fox News Digital)
"Columbia is failing to present connected these commitments, arsenic Jewish students are being harassed, assaulted, threatened, and intimidated to nan constituent wherever they are departing field for safer environments," she added.
The congresswoman said students, faculty, and unit are "responsible for this mayhem," including members of nan field groups Students for Justice successful Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, Columbia University Apartheid Divest and Faculty and Staff for Justice successful Palestine. She said these groups person "repeatedly and flagrantly" violated aggregate assemblage rules and moreover national rule successful immoderate cases.
"The University must decisively clasp them accountable successful a mode commensurate pinch nan severity of their offenses, including expulsion and termination of employment," Foxx concluded.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and nan White House person criticized nan protests astatine Columbia arsenic antisemitic and dangerous.
"The First Amendment protects nan correct to protest, but students besides person a correct to study successful an situation free from harassment aliases violence," Hochul said. "At Columbia aliases connected immoderate campus, threatening Jewish students pinch unit aliases glorifying nan panic of October 7 is antisemitism."
Multiple students were arrested arsenic officers cleared an encampment connected Columbia’s section connected Thursday. (Peter Gerber for Fox News Digital)
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On Monday, students are readying a locomotion retired to request amnesty for student and module protesters arsenic good arsenic nan university's divestment from "Israeli apartheid."
Shafik's agency said successful a connection to Fox News Digital that students person a correct to protest, but they whitethorn not harass and intimidate different students.
"As President Shafik has said repeatedly, nan information of our organization is our number 1 priority," nan connection said. "Columbia students person nan correct to protest, but they are not allowed to disrupt field life aliases harass and intimidate chap students and members of our community. We are acting connected concerns we are proceeding from our Jewish students and are providing further support and resources to guarantee that our organization remains safe."
Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
