University president faces Congress

Leader at Columbia rejects antisemitism

WASHINGTON — The president of Columbia University took a firm stand against antisemitism Wednesday as she parried accusations from Republicans who see the New York campus as a hotbed of bias, but she hedged on whether certain phrases invoked by some supporters of Palestinians rise to harassment.

Nemat Shafik had the benefit of hindsight and months of preparation as she faced a congressional hearing on the Ivy League school’s response to antisemitism and conflicts on campus following the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. She arrived on Capitol Hill four months after a similar hearing that led to the resignations of two Ivy League presidents.

From the start, she took a more decisive stance than the presidents of Harvard, Claudine Gay, and the University of Pennsylvania, Liz Magill, who gave lawyerly answers when asked if calls for the genocide of Jews would violate school policies.

When asked the same question, Shafik and three other Columbia leaders responded unequivocally, yes. But Shafik waffled on specific phrases.

Rep. Lisa Mcclain, a Republican from Michigan, asked her if phrases such as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” or “long live intifada” are antisemitic.

“I hear them as such, some people don’t,” Shafik said.

Shafik acknowledged a rise in antisemitism since October but said campus leaders have been working tirelessly to protect students.

In another heated exchange, Rep. Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican, grilled Shafik on faculty and staff who have expressed support for Hamas or opposition to Israel. She asked about Mohamed Abdou, an Arab studies professor who expressed support for Hamas on social media after Oct. 7.

Shafik said she shared “repugnance” over Abdou’s comments, adding that he will be terminated.

Stefanik said she heard that Abdou attended a pro-palestinian demonstration at the Columbia campus Wednesday morning, in apparent violation of the school’s new rules.

Stefanik said Republicans will hold Columbia accountable for failing to protect students.

“Despite claims otherwise, Columbia’s leadership refuses to enforce their own policies and condemn Jewish hatred on campus,” she said.

Alex Wong Getty Images President of Columbia University Nemat Shafik, left, and David Schizer, right, dean emeritus, testify Wednesday before a House committee at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington.