An Israeli-born Columbia University professor who became famous after ripping the school’s failure to address rampant antisemitism on campus, revealed that he is under investigation by the university and said the probe is a “clear act of retaliation and an attempt to silence me”, The New York Post reported.
Shai Davidai, an assistant professor at Columbia Business School, wrote on X that the university opened a probe into his “advocacy for the Jewish and Israeli students, faculty, and staff at the university.”
“To say that civil rights are being violated does not begin to capture what Jews and Israelis are forced to endure on campus right now,” he wrote.
Davidai declined to share details of the investigation, launched last month by Columbia’s Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Office.
“I abhor Islamophobia – and prejudice of any kind,” he told The Post, adding that he supports the rights of Palestinian Arabs.
“My problem is with Hamas and support for Hamas. I guess the university somehow thinks that supporting terrorism a protected class. That could be the only explanation for this investigation,” he said.
In October, days after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel and the war in Gaza which followed, Davidai called Columbia President Minouche Shafik a “coward” in a fiery speech criticizing the president for failing to quiet “pro-terror” voices at the school.
Antisemitism has been on the rise in campuses across the US since October 7. Just several weeks ago,antisemitic flyers showing a skunk emblazoned with the Israeli flag were posted on the campus of Columbia University.
A week before that, Israeli firearms model Orin Julie and fashion model Natali Dadon were accosted at Columbia by one of the central figures of the anti-Israel protests on campus.
Amid the antisemitism on campus, Columbia University's administration shut down a December discussion by the pro-Palestinian Arab student group "Columbia Social Workers 4 Palestine" after it was discovered that the discussion aimed to justify Hamas' October 7 massacre of Israeli civilians.
Columbia University announced in November it was suspending the pro-Palestinian Arab groups Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace through the end of the fall term, cutting off the groups’ University funding and eligibility to hold on-campus events.
Last month, a congressional committee probing campus antisemitism expanded its investigation to include Columbia University and demanded the school turn over a trove of documents.