GOP Lawmaker: You Can’t Call ‘for the Eradication of the Jews and Think Everything’s Going to Be OK’

Republican Rep. Mike Lawler (NY) on Monday emphasized the need for “consequences” against those involved in the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University.

“I mean there are consequences to actions. That’s what some of these people don’t seem to understand. You can’t call for the eradication of the Jews and think everything is going to be fine because you have the right to free speech,” Lawler said Monday in an interview with NewsNation’s “The Hill.”

Lawler was responding to comments made by Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-Minn.) daughter, Isra Hirsi, who was among more than 100 students arrested last week for participating in ceasefire protests in Columbia.

Hirsi was also among three students suspended from Barnard College, which prevented her from accessing food and housing. On a interview with Teen VogueHirsi said she was “basically evicted” after her suspension and is concerned about her access to food as she relies on her meal plan for meals.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have lasted six days at Columbia University, where hundreds of students occupy the center of the campus in protest against the ongoing violence in Gaza. Protesters are calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and the suspension of US military aid to Israel.

Columbia administrators, led by university president Minouche Shafik, authorized New York City police last week to arrest students involved in the protests, sparking more tensions on campus.

Lawler was one of 10 New York House Republicans to call for Shafik’s resignation, arguing that Columbia’s campus has been overrun by “anarchy.”

“You have no right to make threats against people, which is why the president of Colombia needs to resign immediately,” Lawler said on “The Hill.” “She failed in her duty – her primary responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of students on that campus.”

The ongoing protests have raised concerns about the safety of Jewish students, and Columbia moved classes online starting Monday, hours before the start of the Jewish holiday of Passover.

Anti-Semitism has been on the rise since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, although a significant portion of the students protesting are Jewish. Several protest groups reacted against the characterization of their demonstrations as anti-Semitic.

Asked why he joined calls for Shafik to resign, Lawler said: “When you look at the October 7 terrorist attack, it was rooted in one thing. In Gaza, they are taught to hate Jews and to want to kill Jews.”

“And what we are seeing on campuses across America, but especially here at Columbia University, we are seeing anti-Semitism rear its ugly head,” he continued. “And these institutions allowed this to happen. If this was a racist protest, if this was an anti-gay protest, if this was a protest against immigrants, we would see the institution crack down very quickly and rightly so.”

In the wake of Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, House leaders launched investigations into college campuses’ responses to rising anti-Semitism. The leaders of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were grilled by the House Education Committee in December. His responses sparked backlash, leading two of the three school leaders to resign.

Responding to criticism from the Columbia administration, Shafik said Monday in a statement that she is “deeply saddened” by the protests on campus.

“President Shafik is focused on alleviating rancor on Columbia’s campus,” a university spokesperson told The Hill. “As President Shafik has said repeatedly, the safety of our community is our number one priority. Columbia students have the right to protest, but they are not permitted to disrupt campus life or to harass and intimidate fellow students and members of our community.”

NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.

This article was updated at 10:21 pm