Whoever prepared Columbia University’s four witnesses for their congressional hearing Wednesday clearly studied December’s campus antisemitism hearing. The quartet aimed to sound calm, concerned, and likable. But their performance only put lipstick on an ugly situation.
President Minouche Shafik took credit for listening to concerned Jewish students. But Jews at Columbia have described being ignored or dismissed by administrators, including Shafik. And while Shafik sounded reluctant mentioning Columbia investigating vocally anti-Israel professors, she didn’t hesitate when sharing that Columbia is investigating the Israeli professor who has regularly exposed Columbia’s antisemitism.
When asked to define antisemitism, Shafik said it’s discrimination based on someone’s “Jewish faith.” This overly narrow definition conveniently excused Israel-related discrimination, harassment, and assault. The former law school dean who co-leads Columbia’s Task Force on Antisemitism offered a more comprehensive definition, but a university serious about combating antisemitism would have one definition.
Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) asked if Columbia has antisemitic professors. Shafik replied, “I certainly hope not,” before allowing that “we have seen some cases.” Meanwhile, almost 180 members of Columbia’s faculty signed a letter downplaying Oct. 7.
Citing a visiting professor Shafik said must leave Columbia, Kiley asked if he is antisemitic. Shafik struggled before replying, “He has written and said things which are in support of Hamas, which I find very problematic.” Notably, that wasn’t a declarative “yes.”
Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) asked whether any Columbia protests could be categorized as “anti-Islamic,” “anti-Muslim,” or “anti-Arab.” Revealingly, Shafik responded, “There have been many pro-Israeli demonstrations on our campus.” But supporting Israel is not the same as opposing Muslims or Arabs.
When Good inquired about a March event featuring speakers with terrorist ties, Shafik mentioned Columbia had suspended two main student group sponsors. Yet those organizations have continued operating under a new name since November.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) asked if there were protests “against Jewish people.” Shafik said no. When queried by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), the other three witnesses disagreed.
Stefanik subsequently read chants from Columbia protests, including, “F*** the Jews, death to Jews, f*** Israel, no safe place — death to the Zionist state, Jews out.” Shafik agreed those were “anti-Jewish,” but “the protest wasn’t labeled as an anti-Jewish protest.” Finally, Shafik acknowledged, “anti-Jewish things were said at protests.”
Anti-Jewish things continue to be said. Wednesday’s protest included chants of “intifada revolution! They [the hostages] are not coming home because they are dead! We are Hamas, pig, long live Hamas!” Thursday saw a call to repeat Oct. 7. Protesters have since chanted support for destroying Tel Aviv and excluding “Zionists” from campus. A face-covered protester labeled Columbia’s Jews as Hamas’s “next target.” A speaker who supports “global intifada” praised Oct. 7. On Sunday morning, a campus rabbi urged Jewish students to leave campus for their safety.
Last Wednesday, House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-VA) closed by correcting Shafik, who claimed there were 15 antisemitism-related suspensions. Foxx observed that “only three students were given interim suspensions for antisemitic conduct. All three were lifted or dropped to probation.”
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Only two suspensions remain: “the two Jewish students suspended for spraying the odorous substance Rep. Omar referred to.” Since Columbia never challenged “false allegations of a ‘chemical attack,’” Foxx did: It “was a non-toxic gag spray.” Columbia’s handling of that incident has yielded its third federal lawsuit for the year.
This hearing was a no-win for Columbia. Shafik was evasive, misleading, and untruthful. And the days since have proven that Columbia is pervasively antisemitic. Shafik and the Board of Trustees should resign, and Washington should defund Columbia.
Melissa Langsam Braunstein (@slowhoneybee) is an independent writer in metropolitan Washington.