House Republicans excoriate Ilhan Omar suggesting Columbia University protests not 'anti-Jewish'

Omar based on that field demonstrations were simply "pro-war" aliases "anti-war," but House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., further pressed Shafik connected whether she considered anti-Israel agitators’ chants of "F-- nan Jews" and "Death to nan Jews" successful truth anti-Jewish. Shafik conceded that those slogans heard connected field were "completely anti-Jewish," amending her earlier testimony. 

"I thought her reply to that was incorrect to statesman with, and she had a chance to correct it. I was flabbergasted, actually, erstwhile she said no," committee Chair Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital astatine nan Capitol aft nan hearing. "She said location had been nary anti-Jewish, incidents. Well, what is this full proceeding about? The full proceeding is astir that." 

STEFANIK SLAMS COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 'ARROGANCE,' 'INCONSISTENT TESTIMONY': 'RECKONING OF ACCOUNTABILITY'

Rep. Ilhan Omar questions Columbia University president Wednesday. (Fox News Digital )

"What I recovered absorbing is nan leadership's consequence to that. And you saw Representative Stefanik really travel up pinch that," Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital of nan exchange. "They are successful heavy denial that they screen pinch these clever phrases … conscionable because everything wrong nan protestation was antisemitic, well, it wasn't an antisemitic protestation because it wasn't branded arsenic such. Now that's absurd. You know, I deliberation a 3rd grader would beryllium capable to discern, you know, nan deception. But, but evidently that's difficult for, you know, nan professors and nan activity astatine Columbia." 

As nan proceeding was underway, protesters could beryllium heard yelling extracurricular demanding introduction to nan Capitol proceeding. Back astatine Columbia University’s campus successful New York City, hundreds of anti-Israel agitators staged an "occupation" protestation calling for nan Ivy League schoolhouse to "divest" from Israel. Video captured demonstrators lighting flares aft nightfall, and nan New York City Police Department arrested astatine slightest 4 group Thursday greeting erstwhile crowds defied nan school’s bid to cease nan "encampment," which included tents group up connected a field lawn.

"I deliberation it's very important that nan Jewish students cognize that this committee has their back, that we will proceed to conflict pinch them against antisemitism," Foxx told Fox News Digital. "And that's my committedness to them. I deliberation they understand that commitment. They've seen nan different hearings that we've had. They've heard nan things that we've said. And I deliberation it's important that they cognize they're not unsocial connected that campus, that we are going to beryllium pinch them, whether we're location physically pinch them, we're there, mentally, psychologically and morally pinch them." 

HOUSE REPUBLICANS GRILL COLUMBIA PRESIDENT OVER EMPLOYMENT OF PROF WHO CALLED OCT 7 HAMAS ATTACK ‘AWESOME’

Foxx and different House Republicans hosted a group of Jewish students astatine nan Capitol, offering them nan opportunity to speak astatine a property convention earlier proceeding kicked disconnected Wednesday morning. 

One of those students, Eden Yadegar, nan girl of Iranian immigrants, described caller instances of antisemitism connected campus, including really a tenured Columbia professor allegedly told students that Jews who regularly be temple are "indoctrinated," a Jewish student having a Star of David necklace ripped from her neck, and connected respective occasions Jewish students being accosted by different students astatine nan rule schoolhouse aliases successful nan kosher conception of nan eating hallway yelling, "F--- nan Jews." 

Columbia University student Eden Yadegar describes antisemitism connected field during a property convention astatine nan U.S. Capitol hosted by nan House Education and nan Workforce Committee leadership. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., listens on.  (Fox News Digital/ Danielle Wallace)

She said Jewish students person grown fearful of reporting instances of favoritism and harassment because "of really small religion they person that nan assemblage will return nan basal steps to protect them," arguing nan "university’s action has near Jewish students abandoned" aft months of soundlessness from nan schoolhouse leadership. 

Another student who said astatine nan property conference, Yola Ashkenazi, described really Columbia has recognized clubs that opportunity things like, "Zionists not invited," and, "the Holocaust wasn’t that special." She cited really swastikas person been drawn successful field buildings and said, "Columbia permits dislike rallies connected our field that telephone for unit and eradication of nan Jewish state" and telephone for "intifada revolution." 

Ashkenazi described really connected Feb. 2, erstwhile 1 of her friends was physically held extracurricular nan wall of nan field fittingness halfway by demonstrators, Columbia public information officers told him afterward to "not deterioration thing identifying him arsenic Jewish erstwhile tensions are high." 

Speaking pinch Fox News Digital up of nan hearing, Yadegar said she was not amazed by nan anti-Israel demonstrations happening again backmost connected campus.

"I deliberation that we’ve gotten to a constituent wherever these student demonstrators consciousness that thing is adjacent crippled because they person not been disciplined adequately, and truthful I’m hoping that this proceeding will displacement america distant from that direction," Yadegar said extracurricular nan committee room. 

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"We’ve been isolated connected field successful definite organizations, successful nan classroom. It’s been incredibly difficult, but nan Jewish group are incredibly resilient, and arsenic Americans, arsenic Jews, it’s our work to proceed to participate successful these spaces that we’ve worked truthful difficult to get to," she said. "I do person a small spot of religion near successful their leadership, and I do dream that they will travel through. They declare that antisemitism is abhorrent and that it has nary abstraction successful our university, and our campus. The action complete nan past 5 months doesn’t coincide pinch that rhetoric, nevertheless nan actions taken complete nan past mates of weeks are edging successful that direction."