Columbia alumnus criticizes alma mater's handling of anti-Israel protests: 'Leadership deficiency'

During a demonstration at the Ivy League, a Columbia University alumnus accused his alma mater of ignoring the requests of Jewish students while allowing anti-Israel protesters to continue to occupy the campus.

"According to Yahel Kaplan, an Israeli man who graduated from the university, he believes that he has had many friends who have been attacked. He also stated that the frequent changes in administration at Columbia University indicate a lack of leadership in addressing the struggles of Jews and Israelis on campus."

Columbia should have taken stronger measures to prevent violent and aggressive behavior, as Kaplan deemed the actions of anti-Israel protesters to be "appalling."

The number of donations to Columbia University decreased by almost 29% during its annual fundraiser, following a series of anti-Israel protests on its campus. Additionally, the school experienced a 27.9% drop in the number of gifts, marking the lowest total since 2015.

Muira, a Jewish woman from Manhattan who visited Columbia University on the October 7 anniversary, expressed regret that the school hasn't lost more money.

Additionally, she criticized the behavior of interim university President Katrina Armstrong, who expressed regret to protesters in September for the actions of the New York Police Department (NYPD) that caused them distress as they tried to remove agitators from campus during the previous semester.

Muira stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that there has been no change in Columbia and the issue with Columbia at the moment is Columbia itself.

After Minouche Shafik resigned as president of the elite school due to criticism over her handling of violent campus protests last year, Armstrong was appointed interim president.

Columbia University's Interim President Armstrong has been actively tackling antisemitism and discrimination since taking office in August, which goes against the University's values and has no place at the institution, as stated by a Columbia spokesperson to Planet Chronicle Digital.

Last school year, college campuses across the country were inundated with protesters who demonstrated against the war in Israel. This movement coincided with a rise in antisemitism and Jewish students expressing concerns about their safety on certain campuses.

Some of Racheli's Jewish friends at the University of Pittsburgh have been considering accelerated degree programs due to the protests on Columbia University's campus.

An update condemning calls for violence on campus was released by the President's Office, Provost, and Executive Committee of the Senate at Columbia University last week.

The Columbia Task Force on Antisemitism, comprised of Columbia University, Barnard College, and Teachers College, has released two reports to address the "harmful impact of antisemitism and ensure that protection, respect, and belonging extend to everyone."

President Armstrong stated that the second one presented an opportunity to recognize the harm caused and to commit to making the necessary changes to improve and to reaffirm our commitment to our core mission of education and research as leaders, individuals, and as a community.

The Office of Institutional Equity recently updated its Anti-Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment Policy in September.

In late April, Hamilton Hall at the university was occupied by agitators and pro-Hamas demonstrators for nearly 24 hours. The NYPD was granted permission to take back the building, and the officers used riot gear, electric saws, stun grenades, and other tactical equipment to sweep the building.

Last school year, the NYPD swept a tent encampment on campus that housed protesters, which was known as the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment." The university dismantled the encampment in May.

Planet Chronicle' Emma Colton contributed to this report.