Harvard University will face a lawsuit alleging rampant antisemitism on its campus, with a federal judge finding plausible claims that the school deliberately ignored Jewish students’ concerns about harassment and safety. The lawsuit, filed by Jewish students, accuses Harvard of failing to enforce its own anti-discrimination policies and creating an environment where pro-Palestinian activism has led to hostile treatment of Jewish students.
Several undergraduate Jewish students have experienced disruptions and cancellations of their college graduation ceremonies amidst anti-Israel unrest on campuses nationwide. These students shared their experiences with Fox News Digital, expressing disappointment and frustration over the antisemitism and intimidation they faced. Amidst the protests, some students have reported being cyberbullied and harassed for displaying Israeli flags or expressing support for Israel. University administrations have faced criticism for allowing these disruptions and some students have even had their commencement speeches interrupted by anti-Israel agitators.
Antisemitism on college campuses in the United States is a growing problem. Jewish students are being harassed, intimidated, and even attacked. Some Jewish families are pulling their children out of top-tier schools, fearing for their safety. This issue is not going away; it is only getting worse. If we do not stand up to it now, it will only become more prevalent. It is time for Jewish families, institutions, and anyone who values decency and safety on campus to push back hard.
Jewish students at Ivy League universities are facing an alarming rise in antisemitism and violence, with incidents occurring at Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Penn, and Berkeley. Hateful acts and threats have become commonplace, creating a hostile and unsafe environment for Jewish students. In response, the author, Glenn Harlan Reynolds, urges Jewish students to consider moving to universities in red states like Tennessee, where support for Israel is widespread, and such intimidation and harassment are not tolerated.
Jewish students at New York University (NYU) are expressing concerns over their safety and the lack of productive dialogue surrounding anti-Israel protests on campus. They describe anti-Israel demonstrators as uninformed, disruptive, and violent, while accusing them of fostering an atmosphere of intimidation and fear. Despite multiple arrests and condemnation from university officials, the protests have continued, with protesters demanding a permanent cease-fire between Israel and Gaza and claiming the school is complicit in genocide. The situation has created a sense of unease among Jewish students, who feel their voices are being silenced and their right to feel safe on campus is being violated.
College campuses across the country have become home to protests and encampments against Israel’s war on Gaza — leading to hundreds of arrests. The protesters across the numerous universities are calling for a permanent cease-fire, university divestment from companies making money off of the war, an end to U.S. military assistance for Israel, and amnesty for disciplined student or faculty protesters. In one high-profile instance at Columbia University in New York, more than 100 people were arrested Thursday as students and faculty protested the university’s Israel-related investments. The demonstrations mirror a week of protests at the university in 1968 over the Vietnam War, which led to more than 700 arrests and nearly 150 reported injuries. The present-day Columbia demonstrations seem to have added fuel to numerous other demonstrations across the country despite the arrests. On Monday, 120 protesters were arrested at New York University, 47 students were arrested at Yale University , and three people were arrested at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. On Tuesday, nine people at the University of Minnesota were arrested, and two were arrested at Ohio State University. The demonstrations at Columbia and across the country have been labeled as antisemitic and unsafe for Jewish students. But many of the protesters at these campuses’ “solidarity encampments” are themselves Jewish students calling for Palestinian freedom. For example, students with the Jewish Voice for Peace, alongside Students for Justice in Palestine, at the University of Rochester formed encampments on campus, according to a post on X from the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, Justin O’Connor. The White House joined university administrators earlier this week in condemning the protests, presuming that Jewish students in the U.S. automatically support Israel’s military offensive in Gaza ― a dangerous assumption that JVP said is “actively harming Palestinian and Jewish students.” Faculty and staff at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, condemned the war and President Joe Biden ’s stance in a statement as Biden is set to be the college’s commencement speaker.
House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik has sent a scathing letter to top Biden administration officials, demanding federal intervention to protect Jewish students and faculty from ongoing anti-Israel protests at Columbia University. Stefanik condemned the antisemitic sentiment among protesters, citing incidents of harassment and intimidation that have taken place on campus. She accused the university of failing to take adequate action and called on the Department of Education to hold Columbia accountable by revoking federal funding.
Columbia University graduates are threatening to withdraw financial support after 100 students were arrested during a Gaza Solidarity Encampment protest. However, the graduates’ letter condemning the arrests makes no mention of ongoing antisemitism and intimidation on campus, which Jewish students have reported experiencing from anti-Israel protesters. The university has since announced a hybrid class schedule and increased security measures due to safety concerns.
New Jersey Democratic Representative Josh Gottheimer recently expressed concern about sending his children to Columbia University due to ongoing pro-Palestinian protests on campus. Gottheimer cited recent incidents of harassment and threats against Jewish students, including a protest during which a student allegedly exclaimed, “never forget October 7, it’ll happen not one more time, not happen a thousand more times, but 10,000 more times.” The protests come amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, which has escalated tensions over the past six months and resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people. Columbia University has responded by moving classes online to de-escalate tensions and has been urged by Jewish representatives like Gottheimer to take further action to protect Jewish students.
Columbia University is facing a wave of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel protests, leading to heightened security concerns for Jewish students. Despite protests and arrests, the university has decided not to have NYPD officers on campus. The situation at Columbia reflects a growing trend of anti-Jewish incidents at colleges across the country, with Jewish students feeling unsafe and harassed. Elie Buechler, a rabbi at Columbia, has advised Jewish students to stay home until the situation improves. Some students have criticized the university for not taking stronger action against the protesters.
