A professor at Columbia University told students to avoid mainstream media sources because “it is owned by Jews," according to a task force investigating antisemitism on the Columbia campus.
Haaretz reported that this was one of several displays of antisemitism on the part of Columbia professors. Task force members told the paper that in another incident, a professor singled out a student with a Jewish-sounding name while reading the names of the students in the course and demanded that the student justify Israel's war in Gaza on the spot.
The task force members stated that following the Hamas massacre of October 7, Jewish and Israeli students felt “very targeted and ostracized.” Students reported having Jewish symbols ripped off of them.
Earlier this month, Columbia University reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed by students who were harassed and intimidated by anti-Israel protesters who erected illegal tent encampments on campus in recent months.
Under the terms of the agreement, the students who filed the lawsuit will be offered “walking escorts” for their safety on campus. In addition, a “safe passage liaison” will be appointed to whom students will be able to address any concerns over threats to their safety stemming from future protests.
While antisemitic incidents began rising at Columbia in the immediate aftermath of the October 7 massacre, the anti-Israel tent encampment that was erected on the Columbia campus on April 17 created an even more unsafe environment for Jewish students and faculty.
The protests frequently featured calls for violence against Jews. In one incident, two protesters shouted at Jewish counterprotesters that the October 7 massacre would be repeated "every day" and "10,000" times." In addition, a protester held a sign calling on the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization to murder Jewish students. on campus.
Early in the encampment protests, an Orthodox rabbi at Columbia warned Jewish students to stay away from campus for their own safety.
In another incident, an anti-Israel protester hit a counterprotester in the face with a rock.
In late April, anti-Israel protesters broke into and occupied Columbia University's Hamilton Hall. The following day, NYPD officers were brought in to remove the protesters from campus, and many were arrested.
Columbia ultimately canceled its university-wide commencement ceremony in response to the anti-Israel protests.