House Democrats Disappointed in Ongoing ‘Anti-Israel, Anti-Jewish’ Encampments at Columbia University

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) speaks to reporters outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Sept. 30, 2021. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

A group of 21 House Democrats blasted the “anti-Israel, anti-Jewish” encampment on the campus of Columbia University in a letter to the school’s trustees on Monday morning, April 29.

“We, the undersigned, write to express our disappointment that, despite promises to do so, Columbia University has not yet disbanded the unauthorized and impermissible encampment of anti-Israel, anti-Jewish activists on campus,” the lawmakers said in their letter. “As a result of this disruption on campus, supported by some faculty members, many students have been prevented from safely attending class, the main library, and from leaving their dorm rooms in an apparent violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.”

The group, led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), is different from calls condemning the protests that have mostly come from GOP leaders. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Republican colleagues visited the campus last week and called for the university’s president, Minouche Shafik, to resign.

The Democrats in their letter called for action to be taken after negotiations with the students and university administrators have thus far failed to make a difference.

“We appreciate the Columbia administration’s efforts this week to negotiate in good faith to reach an agreement that allows those in the encampment to voluntarily disburse without police intervention,” the group wrote. “But, after nearly a week of negotiations, it is now abundantly clear that the students and activists entrenched on campus are unwilling to enter into a reasonable agreement to disband, which is necessary to bring the University into compliance with Title VI.”

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance, such as universities and colleges.

“Those who violate the law cannot dictate the terms of the University’s ability to comply with that law,” the Democrat lawmakers added. “It is past time for the University to act decisively, disband the encampment, and ensure the safety and security of all of its students. The time for negotiation is over; the time for action is now.”

They add that it is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to act, and if any of them are unwilling to do so, they “should resign” so they can be replaced by board members who “will uphold the University’s legal obligations under Title VI.”

Harassment, Intimidation Beyond First Amendment Rights

The letter goes on to say that the encampment has been a “breeding ground” for antisemitism, hate speech, harassment, intimidation, and even threats of violence.

The group pointed to reports of a student holding up a sign pointing to pro-Israeli students who said they were the next targets of Hamas.

They also say protest leaders have declared Zionists as Nazis, fascists, and supporters of genocide and routinely chanted “from the river to the sea,” which the lawmakers say is a call to “eliminate Israel and all Jews within its borders.”

The White House, the lawmakers said, has rightly stated that any acts beyond peaceful protest have no place on college campuses or anywhere in the United States.

“Earlier this week, the Columbia administration tacitly acknowledged that the encampment had created an impermissibly hostile and unsafe environment for Jewish students by resorting to hybrid learning, appearing to violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act,” the lawmakers added. “In other words, instead of solving the root cause of discrimination and harassment that students faced on campus, the administration decided to segregate some students from campus altogether, which naturally created an unsafe environment on campus for all students.”

They say the First Amendment does not guarantee the freedom to “harass and intimidate” other students on Columbia’s campus.

“Academic institutions must ensure the safety and security of all of their students under Title VI. It is clear to us that the University has allowed the encampment to create an environment that appears to violate its legal obligations to protect all students from discrimination and harassment. As a result, many students who are paying for an education—supported by the federal government—cannot safely attend class, enter the library, or leave their dorm rooms.”

The 19 other Democrat representatives who signed the letter are: Kathy Manning, Jared Moskowitz, Wiley Nickel, Thomas Suozzi, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Bradley Scott Schneider, Haley Stevens, Ritchie Torres, Chris Pappas, Lois Frankel, Steny Hoyer, Henry Cuellar, Greg Landsman, Robert Menendez, Marc Veasey, Darren Soto, Donald Norcross, Adam Schiff, and Dean Phillips.

Columbia’s Response

While the university has not formally responded yet to the letter, a separate statement issued by Colombia’s president Monday morning addressed the ongoing tensions and protests on campus.

She emphasized the university’s commitment to four core principles: physical safety, academic freedom, respect for diverse viewpoints, and condemnation of hate and discrimination, including antisemitism.

She noted that despite attempts at dialogue and negotiation, the university and protesting students have not reached an agreement.

Columbia has proposed various measures including reviewing investment policies and enhancing academic and financial access, but has maintained its stance against divesting from Israel.

Ms. Shafik also highlighted the disruptive impact of the encampment on the campus environment and the potential interference with upcoming graduation ceremonies.

“We also do not want to deprive thousands of students and their families and friends of a graduation celebration,” she wrote. “Please recall that many in this graduating class did not get a celebration when graduating from high school because of the pandemic, and many of them are the first in their families to earn a University degree. We owe it to all of our graduates and their loved ones to honor their achievement. We want to reassure our community who are trying to make plans that we will indeed hold a Commencement.”

She added that because of those reasons, she urges those in the encampment to voluntarily disperse.

“We are consulting with a broader group in our community to explore alternative internal options to end this crisis as soon as possible,” she added. “We will continue to update the community with new developments.”