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On the first day of Columbia's spring semester, masked activists entered the History of Modern Israel course taught by Israeli historian Dr. Avi Shilon.
By MICHAEL STARR JANUARY 23, 2025 18:25
Protesters gather at a main entrance in front of Columbia University during convocation, in New York City, US, August 25, 2024
(photo credit: REUTERS/CAITLIN OCHS)
After a class on Israeli history was disrupted by anti-Israel activists distributing flyers with violent imagery, Columbia University announced on Wednesday that it is conducting an expedited investigation and is deploying security to classes that may also be targeted.
On the first day of Columbia's spring semester, masked activists entered the History of Modern Israel course taught by Israeli historian Dr. Avi Shilon, according to Tuesday's statement from Interim President Katrina Armstrong.
The keffiyeh-clad activists said that they were protesting the "normalization of genocide" they said in a Wednesday Instagram video published by Shilon. As a protester read a speech to a cameraperson about the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, other activists distributed anti-Israel flyers.
One flyer calling to "crush Zionism" depicted a boot stepping on a broken star of David, according to an X account calling itself Columbia Jewish and Israeli Students. Another poster urged to "burn Zionism to the ground," accompanied by a drawing of a masked man carrying a burning Israeli flag. Other posters declared, "This is for Hind [Rajab]," according to Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) coalition's social media posts, invoking the name of a girl killed during the October 7 War that had become a rallying symbol for protesters.
Shilon welcomed the students to join the class or leave, according to the video he posted. Eventually, the historian ushered them out of the room.
"Free Palestine!" The activists shouted before finally departing
Armstrong condemned the "violent imagery" of the flyers and the disruption of the class, which violates campus rules. Columbia/Barnard Hillel Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life executive director Brian Cohen said on X Tuesday that according to university rules, it is forbidden to prevent the use of a university facility to interfere with normal campus function. Additionally, Cohen suggested that the protest may be a violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Columbia said on Wednesday that it was expediting an investigation of the incident, including identification of the activists and disciplinary measures. The Hillel welcomed the statement on X on Wednesday.
"Actions taken to disrupt our classrooms and our academic mission and to intimidate or harass our students are not acceptable and are an affront to every member of our University community," said the university.
Security measures were modified to require university identification to access the Morningside campus and deployed a public safety team and resources to "classes at increased risk for disruption." Columbia Jewish and Israeli Students said on X Wednesday that while it appreciated that the administration was taking the issue seriously, they expressed concern that classes relating to Judaism and Israel would require security. They posted a picture on social media of a guard sitting outside a course on Zionist thought.
The House Committee on Education and Workforce responded to the Tuesday incident by warning on social media on Tuesday that the failures of universities to address antisemitism would not be tolerated by the new President Donald Trump administration.
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Retired Columbia University Professor Katherine Franke, who left the university after an investigation found that she violated policy by stating she was concerned about ex-IDF soldiers becoming students and harassing Palestinian students, condemned the class disruption.
"I will defend students' right to peaceful protest, but not disturbing classes and hate speech," Franke said on X Wednesday.
The American Jewish Committee said on social media Wednesday that the protest was completely unacceptable and called for immediate action by the university. The New York and New Jersey branch of the Antidefamation League said that it was "disheartening" that students were unable to learn "without disruption and intimidation."
"Freedom to protest doesn't mean freedom to disrupt class and stop others from learning, nor does it mean freedom to engage in bigoted harassment and intimidation," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said on X Wednesday.
The Israeli Embassy to the USA responded to the content of the flyers, dismissing their destructive aspirations as futile and writing, "Let them hand out all the flyers. We're not going anywhere."
CUAD defended the activists on X, attacking Shilon as a former IDF soldier who didn't want to accurately portray a modern Israel because the class didn't include the supposed genocide of "400,000 Palestinians" and "the violent settler colonialism and occupation of Palestine."
"This class is a gross rewriting of Palestinian history. Classes like this are meant to erase the Palestinian past, and the present is inherently violent and inherently normalizing. We will never recognize the zionist entity," said CUAD. "Every single university in Gaza has been destroyed. As long as there are classes and functions [at] Columbia that support and rewrite the genocide, occupation, and settler colonialism of Palestine -- we will continue to disrupt!"
CUAD organized protests and lectures on Tuesday in an effort to "disrupt all university function and erode its elite reputation until Columbia divests" from institutions connected to Israel and Israelis.
The protests also sought to pressure the administration to dismiss disciplinary charges for dozens of students who participated in the occupation of campus buildings in April.
Danielle Greyman-Kennard contributed to this report.
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