New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has announced that he will no longer donate to Columbia University due to ongoing pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
In a statement released by his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, Kraft expressed deep concern over the “virulent hate” directed at Jewish students and staff at Columbia and other schools across the nation. He stated that he is no longer confident in the university’s ability to protect its community and will not continue his support until corrective action is taken.
The protests at Columbia University have lasted for six days, with over 100 student protesters arrested and charged with trespassing. The protesters are demanding a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and an end to US military aid to Israel. Columbia’s leadership has authorized the New York Police Department to arrest students involved in the protests and has informed them that they will also face suspension from the university.
Despite the arrests, the protests have continued to grow in recent days. Similar demonstrations have also occurred at other college campuses across the country.
Concerns have been raised over the safety of Jewish students at Columbia, prompting the university to move classes online starting Monday. This announcement came just hours before the start of the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Kraft, who was raised in an Orthodox Jewish family, expressed hope that Columbia can provide a safe and secure environment for all Jewish students and faculty. He emphasized that he is withdrawing his donations until he is confident that the university is taking appropriate steps to address the current situation.
The protests began last Wednesday, the same day that Columbia president Minouche Shafik testified before the House Education Committee about campus antisemitism. Her testimony, along with the university’s decision to authorize arrests, has sparked calls from politicians on both sides of the aisle for the protests to end and for Shafik to resign from her post.
