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Rep. Stefanik Grills Columbia University President at Second House Antisemitism Hearing
Columbia University and other higher institutions have entirely falled to hold antisemites accountable according to Rep. Elise Stefanik‚ R-N.Y. and other Republican lawmakers.
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce held its second hearing on antisemitism on Wednesday. The committee brought in Columbia University President Minouche Shafik and two board of trustee members to answer for the increased amount of antisemitic incidents on campus since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.
The first antisemitism hearing held on Dec. 5 led to the eventual resignations of University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Harvard University President Claudine Gay‚ who also faced plagiarism charges.
Shafik said in her opening statement that she has a long record of dealing with large‚ diverse organizations in her career and tries to bring that skillset to her job leading the university.
“But on Oct. 7 the world changed‚ and so did my focus‚” she said. “Israel was brutally attacked by Hamas terrorists and very soon it became clear that these horrific events would ignite fear and anguish on our campus.”
This catastrophe had profound personal implications for many Jews on campus‚ she said‚ as well as for many other Columbia students for whom the attack had implications.
She said for these other students the attack was part of a “larger story of Palestinian displacement as well as a humanitarian catastrophe.”
The Columbia president said that “trying to reconcile the free speech rights of those who want to protest and the rights of Jewish students to be in an environment free of discrimination and harassment has been the central challenge on our campus and numerous others across the country.”
To navigate these issues Shafik said she’s instituted listening sessions for students and staff‚ increased reporting channels for students who may have been victimized‚ created new policies on how to handle demonstrations‚ and created a task force to seek solutions for their challenges.
Stefanik pressed Shafik on tenured Columbia Professor Joseph Massad‚ who called the Oct. 7 Hamas attack “awesome” a week after it occurred and has made a number of other anti-Israel statements and comments directed at students.
Shafik said that she condemned his statement and that he’s been spoken to about his rhetoric.
“Were there any other enforcement action taken&;#63;” Stefanik asked. Shafik responded that he hasn’t made similar comments following the talking to.
“Does he need to repeat stating that the massacre of Israeli citizens was awesome&;#63; Does he need to repeat his participation in an unauthorized‚ pro-Hamas demonstration on April 4th&;#63;” Stefanik asked rhetorically.
Shafik said that Massad had been removed from his role of chair of the school’s academic review committee. However‚ Stefanik pointed out later in the hearing that his name remains on the website listed as the chair.
Shafik wouldn’t confirm that Massad has been removed.
Antisemitic professor Joseph Massad still appears on @Columbia’s website as chair of the academic review committee even after university President Shafik claimed he was removed. Her lack of action to combat antisemitism is exactly what has fostered Jewish hate on campus. pic.twitter.com/AM6Kd6xFHt— Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) April 17‚ 2024
The New York congresswoman continued to say that the problem at Columbia seems to be a lack of enforcement.
Stefanik then brought up another case of Columbia Professor Mohamed Abdou‚ who was hired after the Oct. 7 attack. He posted on Oct. 11‚ Stefanik said‚ a statement: “Yes‚ I’m with Hamas and Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad.”
Abdou also decried‚ Stefanik said‚ what he called “false reports accusing Arabs and Muslims of decapitating the heads of children and being rapists.”
Stefanik said there is ample evidence of these incidents taking place “and yet Columbia hired this individual as a professor.”
“How does that hiring process work&;#63; Were you aware of those statements before the hiring&;#63;” Stefanik asked.
Shafik replied that she shared “repugnance” of those remarks and said that on her watch faculty who make such remarks have consequences. She said that Abdou won’t teach at Columbia again‚ that he’s been terminated‚ and that he is now just grading his students’ papers.
Stefanik then asked how the school will change its hiring processes given that Abdou was hired on Shafik’s watch‚ to which Shafik replied that she needs to look for ways to tighten up their standards.
Later in the hearing‚ Stefanik brought up that “Mr. Abdou is not grading papers‚ right now he’s on campus at the unsanctioned‚ anti-Israel‚ antisemitic event that is being supported by pro-Hamas activists on campus.”
#BREAKING &;quot;Liberated Zone&;quot; on Columbia University Lawn set up by Pro-palestine Protesters demanding Liberation for Gaza and Palestine pic.twitter.com/yCXXX7qAH6— FreedomNews.Tv FNTV (@FreedomNTV) April 17‚ 2024
Stefanik brought up Columbia Law Professor Katherine Franke who said that “all Columbia students who have served in the [Israeli Defense Force] are dangerous and shouldn’t be on campus.”
The law professor has been spoken to‚ Shafik said‚ and has also been asked to publicly apologize or clarify her remarks‚ but hasn’t done so yet.
“You see the concern her though with the lack of enforcement&;#63; Do you see the concern that speaking to these professors is not enough and it’s sending the message across the university that this is tolerated‚ these antisemitic statements‚” Stefanik said in conclusion to her comments.
The post Rep. Stefanik Grills Columbia University President at Second House Antisemitism Hearing appeared first on The Daily Signal.
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