Columbia faculty is at war over antisemitism: Hundreds of professors sign new letter slamming ‘appalling’ colleagues who defended students for supporting Hamas as they demand university protects Jewish students
By HARRIET ALEXANDER and MACKENZIE TATANANNI
Almost 300 staff at Columbia University on Tuesday signed a letter condemning their colleagues for defending students who said Hamas’ terror attack of October 7 was justified.
They stressed that freedom of speech is vital – but that did not extend to justifying acts of terrorism.
They said they are ‘astonished’ and ‘horrified’ that anyone could condone the murders.
The Tuesday letter came 24 hours after more than 100 staff at the Ivy League college spoke out in support of the students.
The row was sparked by an October 9 statement from the Columbia chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, which saw the students praise the ‘against the odds’ terror attack – which left 1,400 Israelis dead.
‘Yesterday was an unprecedented historic moment for the Palestinians of Gaza, who tore through the wall that has been suffocating them in one of the most densely-populated areas on Earth for the past 16 years – an open-air prison blockaded by Israeli soldiers via land, air, and sea,’ they wrote.
‘Despite the odds against them, Palestinians launched a counter-offensive against their settler-colonial oppressor – which receives billions of US dollars annually in military aid and possesses one of the world’s most robust surveillance and security apparatuses.’
The statement sparked furious scenes, which have been replicated at colleges and universities across the country – roiling students and staff and seeing donors threaten to withdraw their funding. Some students who publicly defended Hamas have had their job offers rescinded. Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman has threatened to cut off donations to his alma mater over student support for Palestine.
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