A Jewish professor at Columbia University in New York City has been denied access to campus, according to reports.
Israeli Professor Shai Davidai’s ID card was deactivated by the school, he said on Monday.
A video posted to social media shows police and several protesters surrounding Davidai outside Columbia’s campus.
In the video, Davidai can be heard saying: “Everybody, my card has been deactivated… When I asked them if Hamas was a terrorist organization, and they couldn’t say if Hamas was a terrorist organisation…I am a professor here. I have every right to be everywhere on campus… Let me in now.”
Later on Monday, Davidai wrote in a post on X: “Earlier today, Columbia University refused to let me onto campus. Why? Because they cannot protect my safety as a Jewish professor. This is 1938.”
Davidai also said to the crowd outside Columbia: “They are not letting me on main campus. But listen to the irony — I was just told by [Columbia’s Chief Operating Officer Cas Holloway] that I [will be] let on the campus of the business school where I’m teaching tomorrow.
“So they are willing to use Jewish brains, but they don’t want to let Jewish people in…
“I ask of you, if you have a Columbia ID, please go in, take videos — do not engage. If they don’t let you in, and then document the fact that they’re not letting other Jewish people into campus.”
This comes after Columbia cancelled in-person classes on Monday as tensions on campus continue to grow over the war in the Middle East.
Last week, police arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia who had set up an encampment on campus. The protest came before the Jewish holiday of Passover was set to begin Monday night.
Columbia President Minouche Shafik said in a note addressed to the school community on Monday that she was “deeply saddened” by what was happening on campus.
Shafik said: “To deescalate the rancour and give us all a chance to consider the next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday.”
Shafik added that she understands that many students are experiencing deep moral distress as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.
She wrote: “But we cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view.”
Over the coming days, a working group of deans, school administrators and faculty will try to find a resolution to the university crisis, noted Shafik, who didn’t say when in-person classes will resume.
Several students at Columbia and Barnard College said they were suspended for taking part in last week’s protests.
At Yale, police arrested about 45 protesters on Monday and charged them with misdemeanour trespassing, according to the New Haven Police Department.
