Columbia University students protested to voice their outrage against the presence of ICE agents on campus and called for the release of Mahmoud Khalil. In response, interim president Katrina Armstrong issued a memo outlining increased enforcement against demonstrators, which many critics linked to pressure from the Trump administration amidst the threat of losing federal funding. The memo notably sidestepped the issue of antisemitism, even as Columbia has been scrutinized for fostering an environment of anti-Israel sentiment. The administration seems to balance appeasing federal demands while managing campus dissent and internal conflicts.
Decades ago, Columbia opted to feast on foreign Arab donations by embracing and promoting anti-Israel studies, convincing the global left that blaming the Jews is cutting-edge thinking.
Only time will tell if Columbia makes good on any of it; Armstrong and her colleagues are plainly walking a fine line between appeasing the feds and heading off the fury of internal special interests.
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