Columbia's Jewish students warned to seek safety
A prominent rabbi at Columbia University has called for Jewish students to leave campus amid threats poised by protests over the Israel-Hamas war.
Rabbi Elie Buechler, director of the Orthodox Union-Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus program at Columbia called on Jewish students to go home immediately, saying recent clashes between Jewish and pro-Palestinian groups on campus "have made it clear that Columbia University’s Public Safety and the (New York Police Department) cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy."
The White House joined Columbia officials to condemn increasingly hostile interactions among students at the school: Jewish students have faced near-violent attacks while demonstrating their cause. Meanwhile, more than 100 pro-Palestinian protestors were arrested last week after camping out on the Ivy League campus in support of Gaza.
The departure of some Jewish students from campus as the Passover holiday begins Monday provides a sharp example of the challenges Columbia and other U.S. colleges face amid frustration felt by both sides over the Israel-Hamas war.