Published by
The Western Journal
The Western Journal
House Speaker Mike Johnson was met with a chorus of boos on Wednesday as he visited Columbia University in New York City to address the school’s hostile takeover by radical anti-Israel activists. During his remarks to students, many of whom had been camped out for a week threatening their Jewish classmates, Johnson was drowned but refused to back down while calling for order. “We respect free speech, we respect diversity of ideas, but there is a way to do that in a lawful manner, and that’s not what this is,” the Louisiana Republican told the crowd. His comments were met with chants such as “M…
Israeli-American Council (IAC) CEO, the former US Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Elan Carr, issued the following statement Thursday regarding the demonstrations at Columbia University and on other campuses:
In recent weeks, we have observed with profound concern the escalating antisemitism at Columbia University and many other campuses, culminating in acts that undermine American values and threaten the safety and freedom of Jewish students.
The Israeli-American Council (IAC) unequivocally condemns the demonstrations and encampments at Columbia and other universities and stands in solidarity with the many Jewish students who have been targeted with hateful rhetoric and threats of violence. These demonstrations are overtly antisemitic, in that they slander the Jewish state with manufactured blood libels, equate the State of Israel to Nazi Germany, subject Israel to double standards to which no other democratic country is held, deny the Jewish people the right to self-determination, and worst of all, either explicitly or implicitly justify terrorism and the murder of Jews in the wake of the barbaric pogrom of 10/7.
It is utterly unacceptable that any university campus should become a platform for pro-terror and anti-American activities, and it is all the more unacceptable that federal and state treasuries should fund such platforms. IAC calls for the immediate resignation of those university presidents, including Minouche Shafik of Columbia University, who are unable to ensure a safe environment for their students or discipline those who call for the genocide of Jews.
We demand that university leaders and governing bodies nationwide exhibit zero tolerance for organizations that support terrorism and violence. It is time to reclaim our academic spaces and ensure they are safe, inclusive, and conducive to learning for all students.
We call upon all local, state, and federal officials, including law enforcement authorities, to take swift and decisive action as permitted by law to halt these violent demonstrations and to hold accountable those responsible. It is imperative that criminal and other measures, including university disciplinary measures such as suspension or expulsion, be enforced against individuals who are violating the law.
IAC will continue to advocate and demand for the protection of academic freedom, the safety of students, and the preservation of democratic values in our educational institutions. Together, let us stand against hate and intolerance, and work towards fostering an environment of respect on our campuses.