Jewish Students at Columbia U Applaud Removal of Anti-Israel Protesters

Jewish Students at Columbia U Applaud Removal of Anti-Israel Protesters

Edited by: Fern Sidman

In a decisive action that has sparked widespread reactions across Columbia University, police in riot gear arrested over 100 anti-Israel protesters on Thursday afternoon from an encampment on the campus, following orders from the university’s President, Minouche Shafik, as was reported by The New York Post.   This move, intended to restore order and enforce university policies, has been met with relief by some Jewish students who felt threatened by the escalating tensions.

Disclose! Divest! We will not stop, we will not rest! Still here outside Columbia! Come join! 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/NWC0QQgeIb

— Within Our Lifetime (@WOLPalestine) April 19, 2024

Sophomore Jonny Lederer expressed a sense of increased safety following the police intervention, highlighting the significance of the moment for those who felt alarmed by the size and fervor of the anti-Israel demonstrations. The Post report indicated that according to Lederer, the presence of a large group openly supporting what he described as a “pro-Hamas cause” was particularly unnerving and made the intervention seem necessary for maintaining peace and security on campus.

The response by the NYPD was marked by restraint, as described by witnesses. Officers asked protesters if they would voluntarily disperse, and upon refusal, proceeded to make arrests. According to the information provided in the Post report, this methodical approach aimed to manage the situation without violence, although the presence of riot gear and the physical removal of protesters called attention to the seriousness with which the university and law enforcement were treating the breach of campus rules.

Eden Yadegar, a Jewish student from Barnard College, which is affiliated with Columbia, expressed deep concerns about the environment at Columbia, suggesting that anti-Semitism and anarchy had been allowed to proliferate unchecked for months, the Post report said. Her remarks illustrate a palpable fear among Jewish students that the campus had become a breeding ground for hostility and intimidation, which necessitated a firm administrative response. “The action taken by our leadership today was, unfortunately, an absolutely necessary one,” Yadeger stated, according to the Post.

Tyler Korff, a Columbia alum and co-founder of the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, lauded the university and the NYPD for their decisive actions against the clearly anti-Semitic and anti-American protests, as was noted in the Post report. Korff’s approval of the clampdown reflects a broader sentiment among many in the university’s Jewish community, who have felt increasingly besieged by the nature and tone of the anti-Israel rhetoric on campus. “These protests and rallies are meant to threaten and intimidate students, and the message today should be very clear: enough is enough,” Korff asserted, according to the Post report.

A student who preferred to remain anonymous voiced a concern to the Post that resonates with many: “How can you learn when you have to watch your back?” This sentiment highlights the anxiety that can pervade academic life when students feel their physical and psychological safety is compromised.

Many students, including a 20-year-old who expressed his distress over the situation, insist that the high tuition fees they pay should guarantee a secure and conducive learning environment. “We pay a lot of money to come here and we should feel safe and protected,” he stated, the Post report said. His remarks encapsulated the expectation that the university administration has a duty to safeguard its students against any form of harassment or danger stemming from campus activism.