Republican lawmakers call on FBI to investigate antisemitic protests at Columbia University

Republican lawmakers Joni Ernst and Elise Stefanik have asked the FBI to open an investigation into the violent antisemitic protests at Columbia University in order to protect Jewish students, The New York Post reported.

In a letter, the lawmakers harshly criticized the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) organization, which they accused of inciting hatred against Jews, per The New York Post.

According to the letter, sent to James Dennehy, assistant director of the FBI office in New York, a member of CUAD made outrageous and dangerous antisemitic statements inciting violence against students in the Jewish community.

"Rarely has the FBI had such public and obvious evidence of potentially imminent violence," Ernst and Stefanik noted in the letter, which was copied to Katrina Armstrong, interim president of Columbia University.

"This cannot become another instance in which a terrible case of violence takes place at a school and the FBI issues a statement after the fact that the perpetrators were ‘on its radar,’ but [it] did nothing. Put simply, the writing is on the wall and you have no excuse. Do your job," the lawmakers added.

Speaking to The New York Post, Ernst said, "CUAD leaders are openly calling for the murder of Jews and celebrating Hamas terrorist attacks. These are credible threats, and the FBI needs to respond instead of waiting for a tragedy to happen."

It should be recalled that Minouche Shafik resigned as president of Columbia University last August due to a series of episodes of antisemitic violence that occurred at the institution, which even resulted in the NYPD arresting some of the racist rioters.

"In light of the considerable violence occurring for which this group is already responsible, and Columbia University’s inability and unwillingness to police its own campus necessitating it to request the NYPD intervene, federal intervention is now necessary," the lawmakers concluded.

CUAD's dangerous antisemitic history

The CUAD organization, which is made up of some 116 student groups, was involved in the pro-terrorism encampments that were erected at Columbia University.

In a statement released a day after the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, CUAD expressed its support for the indiscriminate killing of civilians by terrorist organizations, voicing its support for "liberation by any means necessary, including armed resistance."

"Long live Palestine, long live the Intifada, and long live the Resistance," the antisemitic group added.

CUAD also hailed the terror attack in Tel Aviv, in which eight people were killed earlier this month, as "a significant act of resistance."

The New York Post also recalled that CUAD apologized after Khymani James, a member of the organization, said in a commentary in the middle of this year that "Zionists don't deserve to live." He added: "Be grateful that I’m not just going out and murdering Zionists, I’ve never hurt anyone in my life, and I hope to keep it that way." While CUAD deleted the message, it recently chose to remove the apology published months earlier, which James was grateful for. "Anything I said, I meant it," the antisemitic student expressed.