Columbia University Israel course disrupted by anti-Semites on first day of class

Columbia President Katrina Armstrong: ‘We want to be absolutely clear that any act of antisemitism … against members of our community is unacceptable and will not be tolerated’

Columbia University students in a class about the history of Israel had their first day disrupted on Tuesday when four masked Jew-haters burst into the classroom. They were banging drums, chanting "free Palestine," and handing out posters that said "CRUSH ZIONISM" with a boot over the Star of David.

The irony is, there was a time when Arabs referred to Jews in Israel as Palestinians, but they seemed to have forgotten that tidbit of information.

These demonstrators also displayed and tried to stick up a sign showing Hamas terrorists with guns, labeled "THE ENEMY WILL NOT SEE TOMORROW."

Lishi Baker, a junior studying Middle East history, described the scene to the media outlet, Jewish Insider. "They started throwing fliers at us all and talking about how terrible it is that this class is even happening and that we have an Israeli professor," she said. She commended the professor, Avi Shilon, for his calm response. "He said to them we’re here to learn [and] offered for them to learn, [otherwise] if they don’t want to learn, they should leave," Baker recalled. However, the protesters ignored this, continuing their noisy protest before leaving to join larger demonstrations.

Dozens of other cowardly protesters, with faces covered, gathered at Columbia's main quad and entrance, chanting for an "intifada revolution" and other anti-Semitic slogans.

These classroom disruptors were likely students or university affiliates. Columbia has tightened security this academic year, with gates now locked and guarded to control who enters.

Columbia Interim President Katrina Armstrong and Brian Cohen, executive director of Columbia Hillel, quickly condemned the disruption.

"Today a History of Modern Israel class was disrupted by protesters who handed out fliers. We strongly condemn this disruption, as well as the fliers that included violent imagery that is unacceptable on our campus and in our community," Armstrong stated.

She emphasized that disrupting academic activities violates university conduct rules and possibly other policies, promising a swift investigation and action against such acts.

Cohen highlighted on X that this demonstration not only breaches Title VI of the Civil Rights Act but also university rules, urging quick and strong action against the perpetrators.

This incident followed closely after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which had been a key demand of campus anti-Israel protests since the conflict escalated after the October 7 attacks.

"This was never about ceasefire and it was never about the war in Gaza," Baker remarked. "It was always about a broader existential mission to eradicate the state of Israel. If that wasn’t clear before, it better be clear now."

She added, "One of the main talking points of the [anti-Israel campus] movement has been a defense of the things that they say on the grounds of academic freedom. Well, so much for academic freedom when you barge into a classroom and interrupt it and intimidate the students and the professor."

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