Amid increasing tensions surrounding student protests, US President Joe Biden made his first public statement against anti-Semitism on college campuses. Pro-Palestinian protestors at Columbia University have been calling for the cutting of financial relations with Israel, a significant US ally, for the past five days.
The university should boycott all activities related to Israel because of the conflict with Hamas and the ensuing humanitarian situation in Gaza, say the protesters who have set up camp on campus.
White House comments on US college demonstrations against Israel
“We’ve even witnessed calls for violence against Jews and harassment of them in recent days. The Jewish festival of Passover begins on Monday night. “This blatant anti-Semitism is repugnant and dangerous, and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country,” Biden stated in a statement before the holiday.
Ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover, Biden issued a statement denouncing recent acts of harassment and incitement to violence against Jews. He claimed that such overt anti-Semitic sentiment is unacceptable in the nation and on college campuses in particular.
An increase in anti-Semitic incidents on US campuses
Since the October 7 Hamas attack and Israel’s reaction in Gaza, there has been a heightened cultural debate in the US, with many students being accused of being anti-Semitic for their pro-Palestinian views. Many colleges, such as Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University, have issued safety advisories to their rabbis, who advise Jewish students to return home. But Hillel, a different Jewish organisation, advocated for more security while urging students to remain on campus.
Anti-Semitic incidents were documented during a pro-Israel counterdemonstration outside the campus icon, the Sundial. Tensions reached a height on Thursday when 108 protestors were taken into custody, leading to New York Mayor Eric Adams’s censure.
The crisis at Columbia coincides with increased attention being paid to anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses; Harvard’s president recently resigned over concerns voiced about the problem there as well.
