Columbia University suspends anti-Israel groups after threats and intimidation

Columbia University announced this Friday the suspension of two anti-Israel student groups that “repeatedly violated” the university's policies by holding unauthorized events on campus that included threatening and intimidating rhetoric.

In an official press release, the university reported that the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) groups will be suspended until the end of the semester, which means that during this time neither group will be allowed to organize events on campus or receive funds from the university.

The university highlighted that, although it is firmly committed to providing spaces for debates, promotions and protests, members of the university must adhere to a set of policies and procedures. These measures were put in place to guarantee the safety of the community and allow the main activities of the university to be carried out without interruptions.

Likewise, the statement indicates that the suspension could be lifted as long as the sanctioned student groups demonstrate a commitment to complying with university policies.

Jewish students feel unsafe

The university's decision comes after several Jewish students demanded that the university take action against growing antisemitism on campus.

The students reported that since Hamas attacked Israel, the Jewish community has been subjected to a series of threats and attacks from other classmates and the school has not taken sufficient steps to hold the perpetrators accountable.

“With my own eyes I have witnessed Columbia students resort to based bigotry. I’ve seen them parrot foul antisemitic tropes, I’ve seen them label visibly Muslim students as terrorists, I’ve seen them roar in approval for calls of violence against civilians, and I’ve seen them take to social media nearly every day of the last three weeks to call for each other’s deaths," said history student Yoni Kurtz.

Another student said, “The university’s lack of a meaningful, practical response to these acts of blatant antisemitism is incredibly disheartening." The same student claimed that everyone at the university should be able to feel safe and supported on campus regardless of their religion, political affiliation or ethnicity.