In response to the arrest of 100 student protesters at the so-called Gaza Solidarity Encampment on the uptown campus of Columbia University, a group of graduates from the School of General Studies have vowed to withdraw their financial support from the university. However, their letter condemning the arrests notably omits any mention of the ongoing fears about antisemitism threats and intimidation on campus, which Jewish students have reported experiencing.
The letter, which will be sent to administrators on Wednesday, refers to the ongoing protest as “courageous and necessary” and insists on “amnesty and affirmative support” for the arrested protesters. It states that until these demands are met, the signatories “pledge to withhold all financial and operational support…from the University, the School of General Studies, and the joint and dual degree programs.” As of Tuesday, the letter had not yet been signed by any individual former students.
The General Studies program, which was first established in 1947 for GIs returning from World War II, includes about 2,200 undergraduate students, according to its website. In addition to the dual degree program with the List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary, the General Studies program also offers dual degrees with Sciences Po in France, Trinity College in Ireland, and Tel Aviv University in Israel.
In the days since the mass arrest, Jewish students have reported being taunted and even physically harassed by some of the anti-Israel protesters. One campus rabbi even warned Jewish students to leave campus in order to avoid antisemitic violence. Late Monday night, Columbia announced plans to move the final classes of the semester to a hybrid schedule due to ongoing fears about unrest among students and faculty. The university also beefed up security measures, posting guards from private contractors at entrances to the campus, which could only be accessed by university ID holders.
As of Tuesday morning, it was unclear how many graduates had signed the letter and rescinded their financial support for the school.
