Columbia seeks to avoid Harvard trap in anti-Semitism hearing

Columbia University is in the hot seat as House Republicans are set to grill four of its top officials Wednesday for a hearing on anti-Semitism on campus.

Columbia President Nemat Shafik, along with two members of the Board of Trustees and a professor, will be questioned by the House Education and Workforce Committee after missing the December hearing that became the downfall of other university heads.

“Some of the worst cases of anti-Semitic attacks, harassment and vandalism on campus have occurred at Columbia University,” President Virginia Foxx (RN.C.) said in a statement.

“Due to the serious and widespread nature of these cases, and the failure of the Columbia administration to enforce its own policies to protect Jewish students, the Committee should hear personally from Columbia leadership to learn how the school is addressing anti-Semitism in your campus,” she added.

Shafik was invited to the December hearing that also focused on anti-Semitism at Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), but was unable to attend due to prior travel plans.

Columbia’s leadership was lucky to watch from the sidelines as the other three universities were questioned – and the consequences that followed.

All three presidents at the December hearing faced bipartisan backlash after Rep. Elise Stefanik (RN.Y.) asked them whether calling for the genocide of the Jewish people would be considered harassment on campus.

All three responded by saying that it would depend on the context of the speech and that it would need further investigation. Although First Amendment experts stated that the responses were legally correct, they were not well received by the public.

UPenn President Liz Magill resigned days after the hearing, and Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned the following month following backlash from the hearing and allegations of plagiarism.

MIT President Sally Kornbluth was the only one able to weather the storm when her school released a statement of support for her and then she stayed out of the public eye.

Anti-Semitism on campuses became a controversial issue after October 7, when Hamas launched its attack killing more than 1,000 Israeli civilians.

In the weeks that followed, some university groups blamed Israel for the attack or said it was justified, anti-Semitic incidents rose on college campuses, and the public felt outraged at administrators’ responses, or lack thereof.

The Anti-Defamation League recorded 8,800 anti-Semitic cases in the US in 2023, with a spike following the October 7th attack. It was a record year and a 140% jump compared to 2022.

Sixty-four percent of Jewish parents of college applicants said their children eliminated at least one school from the application process due to concerns about anti-Semitism, according to a Hillel International survey released earlier this month.

So far, Columbia has sought to project a confident public image ahead of the hearing.

“Columbia is committed to combating anti-Semitism and we welcome the opportunity to discuss our work to protect and support Jewish students and keep our community safe,” the university said in a statement.

But those who were on campus are hopeful that this hearing could mark a significant change for the school.

“I hope this hearing creates an opportunity to get the word out that there was a problem at this university. Over the past six months, it has often felt like Jewish students are shouting into the void, so I hope this hearing forces the university to really take note of what is happening and respond effectively,” said senior Jacob Schmeltz. at Columbia and vice president of the Jewish Student Union on Campus, told The Hill.

“Jewish students were marginalized and isolated and encountered hostility in almost every avenue. We were excluded from student groups on campus. There were many demonstrations on campus where anti-Semitic slogans and calls for violence occurred,” she added.

Columbia’s responses at the hearing will determine how the House’s investigation will be conducted later.

Currently, House Republicans and Harvard are in a battle over documents related to anti-Semitism on the Ivy League school’s campus. Harvard released thousands of documents, but lawmakers say the information is not relevant and have subpoenaed the school.