Latest news with #Jew-hatred
New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Columbia University to pay out more than $220M after violating Jewish students' civil rights in massive win for Trump admin
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has won unprecedented concessions from Columbia University in a sweeping settlement — with the Ivy League university paying more than $220 million and pledging to reverse racially discriminatory practices and resolve civil rights violations against Jewish students, The Post can exclusively reveal. The settlement, under which Columbia will agree to submit to independent monitoring to ensure it is complying with merit-based hiring and admissions requirements, is likely to put pressure on other schools — like Harvard — that have crossed the White House over tolerance of extreme Jew-hatred on campus since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas against Israel. The resolution comes after just four months of negotiations between Columbia and Trump, striking a stark contrast with Harvard, which decided to drag the administration into court for stripping the school of $2.6 billion in grants and other funding. A source familiar with the negotiations noted that $400 million yanked from Columbia in March when talks began would have snowballed to affect billions of dollars of university research grants and other funding. In addition to paying the feds $200 million to settle their discrimination claims, Columbia will also fork over more than $20 million to Jewish employees who were discriminated against amid fierce antisemitic demonstrations that followed the Hamas attack. 7 The settlement is likely to put pressure on other schools that have crossed the White House over their tolerance for extreme Jew-hatred on campus since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas against Israel. James Keivom The Trump administration is touting the employees' sum as the largest public settlement of its kind in nearly 20 years and the highest for any victim who's lodged a Title VI complaint. The Ivy League school has also agreed to end all programming that discriminated against faculty or students — bringing it into full compliance with the Supreme Court's 2023 decision banning race-based affirmative action — and create some yet-to-be-announced faculty positions in the name of broadening intellectual diversity. The settlement further calls for Columbia to maintain a trained security force blocking demonstrations in academic spaces and coordinate with the NYPD to prevent a repeat of the takeover of Hamilton Hall by anti-Israel rioters in the spring of 2024 — while the university will impose a complete ban on masked protests. Disciplinary rules will no longer be governed by the faculty senate but, rather, by the Office of the Provost. On Tuesday, Columbia announced that dozens of students were going to be suspended or penalized — and a handful expelled — for a recent disruptive library demonstration and anti-Israel tent encampment that engulfed the campus last year. 7 The university's admissions office will step up vetting for foreign applicants, quiz potential students about their reasons for wanting to study in the US and share that data with the feds. Paige Kahn/NY Post The university's admissions office will step up vetting for foreign applicants, quiz potential students about their reasons for wanting to study in the US and share that data with the feds, while Columbia's reliance on international enrollment will be cut back. As part of its participation in the federal Student and Exchange Visitor (SEVIS) Program, the school will now be expected to report any disciplinary actions for those holding visas — including suspensions, expulsions or arrests. Experts are also supposed to consult with administrators to prevent the threat of terrorist financing or other illicit funds flowing to the school. Regional programs — specifically the Center for Palestine Studies; the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies; Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies; the Middle East Institute; and learning hubs in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Amman, Jordan — will come under strict review from the senior vice provost to ensure they are 'comprehensive and balanced.' 7 Regional programs are expected to come under strict review from the senior vice provost to ensure all educational programs are 'comprehensive and balanced.' X/@LishiBaker Additionally, the Morningside Heights school will comply with Title IX and no longer force women to compete with biological men in sports or use their locker rooms, housing or other facilities. Finally, most of the $400 million in federal grants, contracts and other funding yanked from the prestigious school — representing roughly 8% of its taxpayer funding — will be returned. Grant eligibility will be fully reinstated once the school implements all terms of the agreement. The Trump-Columbia deal will sunset in three years, and a Resolution Monitor will provide 'semi-annual' reports on the university's compliance. 'This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty,' said Columbia acting president Claire Shipman. 'The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track. Importantly, it safeguards our independence, a critical condition for academic excellence and scholarly exploration, work that is vital to the public interest.' 7 Grant eligibility will be fully reinstated once the school complies with all terms of the agreement. The Trump-Columbia deal will sunset in three years. X/LishiBaker Leaked terms of the negotiations in recent weeks have revealed that Columbia was willing to release its admissions and hiring data to the Trump administration and pay the $200 million fine after concerns were raised about its failure to comply with the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling. In March, the administration issued a series of nine demands as a 'precondition' for Columbia receiving more federal funding, requiring the elite university to commit to wide-ranging policy changes and accept additional oversight. These included promoting academic diversity and 'institutional neutrality' among faculty and stepped-up enforcement of existing disciplinary policies. The final agreement declared: 'Columbia may not use personal statements, diversity narratives, or any applicant reference to racial identity as a means to introduce or justify discrimination.' 7 'This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty,' said Columbia acting president Claire Shipman. James Keivom Columbia was also supposed to ban masks on campus to hold protesters who violate codes of conduct accountable and punish students who participated in the Hamilton Hall storming One of the most sweeping demands was that the school's Middle East, South Asian and African Studies departments be placed under 'academic receivership' for at least five years, which would put decision-making authority in the hands of someone outside of the departments. A new senior vice provost role will carry out that function for the life of Wednesday's agreement. Days later, Columbia gave into many of the demands, agreeing to numerous policy reforms. 7 Columbia has been through several leadership shakeups in the last year over repeated failures to bring a stop to antisemitic protests and incidents on campus. J.C. Rice The school has been through several leadership shakeups in the last year over repeated failures to bring a stop to antisemitic protests and incidents on campus. In the spring of 2024, its campus was the site of an anti-Israel tent encampment in the weeks leading up to graduation. When the makeshift tent city was finally dismantled, the demonstration escalated into the Hamilton Hall takeover. That August, then-Columbia University president Minouche Shafik suddenly resigned, citing a 'period of turmoil' for her shocking departure. Her interim successor, Katrina Armstrong, was ousted just seven months later by Columbia's board of trustees after publicly agreeing with Trump officials to uphold a mask ban — but pledging to faculty in private that she would not. 7 The agreement codifies earlier concessions to ban masks on campus and punish students who participated in the Hamilton Hall storming Getty Images She was replaced by Shipman, co-chair of the Columbia board of trustees, who was exposed earlier this month for trying to oust the only Jewish member of that board, and urging the school to install an 'Arab' board member 'quickly.' Shipman's incendiary personal messages from 2023 and 2024 — in which she also appeared to downplay fears of campus antisemitism as irrational — sparked a probe by the House Education Committee. Republican lawmakers say they are working to decide if new legislation is needed to hold university leaders more accountable amid a troubling uptick of anti-Israel sentiment on campuses nationwide.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Columbia's finally cracking down on its Jew-hating goons. What took so long?
It sure is about time: Columbia University is finally starting to deal with the vile, antisemitic hooligans on its campus. What took so long? The Ivy League school is set to discipline more than 70 pro-Palestinian students for rampaging through Butler Library in May and for their involvement in last year's encampment. Most face suspensions of one to three years, and some will be permanently expelled. The punishments are well-deserved: Students in the library were cramming for final exams last May. The tuition money they forked over gave them the right to use that library and the rest of Columbia's facilities. What right did the Keffiyeh Klan have to deny these kids what they paid for? Their antics last year were even more selfish and outrageous. They set up tents, preventing others from using public campus space, took over an academic building and harassed Jews. 'To create a thriving academic community, there must be respect for each other and the institution's fundamental work, policies and rules,' a Columbia spokesperson said. Hear, hear! The agitators should be grateful their punishments are only suspensions and expulsions: Last year, cops arrested some of them after they took over Hamilton Hall, yet bleeding-heart Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg dropped the charges against most of them. Columbia's action comes after the school announced other small steps to curb campus Jew-hatred. It plans to hire more staff to investigate discrimination cases, for example, and will no longer meet with a virulent anti-Israel student group behind most of the chaos. Keep up with today's most important news Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters It also plans new antisemitism training for students and staff. Most notably, it's adopting a broader definition of 'antisemitism' that aligns with what the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance uses. That includes expressing 'hatred toward Jews,' whether physically or rhetorically, slurring Israel as racist and opposing the right of Jews to have a state of their own, Holocaust denial and justifying the 'killing or harming' of Jews based on 'radical ideology.' These are certainly moves in the right direction. But there's no excuse for waiting until now to act: Vicious antisemitism exploded almost instantly after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of innocent Israelis. That was almost two years ago. Indeed, not until after Team Trump pulled $400 million of federal funds did Columbia even start to think about taking meaningful measures to right the ship. And don't celebrate the new moves too much, either. The school's got a long way to go to cleanse its record of tolerating — even promoting — antisemitism. Remember: Its armies of anti-American, anti-West, anti-Israel, Jew-hating professors remain entrenched. They'll continue to decry 'settler-colonialism' and 'apartheid' and brainwash impressionable young minds. And it's resisted other steps, too, like enforcing a mask ban on students for students who wear them to escape accountability and terrorize others. Most of all, it's still run by an arrogant, hostile board and an acting president, Claire Shipman, who's tarnished by a putrid record — including statements that pooh-poohed campus Jew-hatred and sought to replace a Jewish trustee with someone who's Middle Eastern or Arabic descent. Columbia clearly has its work cut out for it. Let's hope its latest moves are just the first of many more.
Sky News AU
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Tony Abbott calls for police crackdown on anti-Israel protests
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has called for a major police crackdown on protests following an attempted arson attack at a Melbourne Synagogue. Mr Abbott says Jewish Australians have been under relentless attack since October 7, 2023. 'There's nothing to stop them [police] cracking down hard on these pro-Hamas, Jew-hatred protests,' Mr Abbott said.
Sky News AU
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'It must stop': Former prime minister Tony Abbott calls for stronger action to stamp out 'pro-Hamas' protests, antisemitic attacks
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has claimed stronger action is needed to crackdown on antisemitism in the wake of fresh attacks on the Jewish community. On Tuesday, Mr Abbott called for a blanket ban on 'pro-Hamas' protests from carrying on across Australia and urged police to take harder stance. After visiting the synagogue in east Melbourne which was the target of last week's attempted arson attack, Mr Abbott told Sky News host Peta Credlin Jewish Australians had been 'under relentless attack' since October 7, 2023. 'It must stop - and all we've had up till now is largely impotent hand wringing from people in authority,' Mr Abbott said. 'Just as the police cracked down hard on the freedom protests during the pandemic, there's nothing to stop them cracking down hard these pro-Hamas, Jew-hatred protests. They've been going on for far too long. 'We can't tolerate it. They must be stopped. They must never be allowed to happen again and if the police object, the Premier should just say: 'I'm sorry, this is an instruction from the elected and accountable government to officialdom, go and carry it out'.' Mr Abbott said it was not a question of freedom of speech and the right to protest, as demonstrators had gone after and blatantly intimidated 'decent, law-abiding Australians'. Former homicide detective Charlie Bezzina echoed those sentiments, telling Sky News the police force had become muzzled and 'over risk-averse'. Mr Bezzina said police were 'sitting in buses around the corner' during protests in Melbourne last week. The former detective added police should be able to 'react on the spot' if a splinter group of 20 agitators descend on a restaurant, as they did during that protest. There were a series of problems arising from lack of action until after the incident, he said, claiming it was a 'bad look' and could lead to an unnecessary mental or physical injury. Mr Bezzina said Victoria's lack of protest permit laws was partly the problem, as there was no accountability, and suggested splinter groups be traced back to the main demonstration which is held responsible for intimidation and disruptive activity. 'Now when you apply for another permit you're not going to get it because you're not controlling your own people, it's not for us. So ultimately there is no accountability , they run riot,' he said. ' My particular question is, what have you achieved? Apart from inconveniencing the community, the good people of this state, what have you achieve globally, internally?' Author Ayaan Hirsi Ali said the increasing trend of antisemitic incidents in Australia was more than just criminal activity. 'We're looking at political violence. We need to know where the mother bee of this is,' she said. Ms Ali said the problem began with educational institutions and universities, which were 'not providing education anymore'. 'We're not teaching the disciplines of math and science and history and civics and Western civilisation and humanities and classics. Now we have something called 'studies',' she said. 'These are all grievance studies. You get a degree in resentment.'
Rhyl Journal
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
BBC director-general was at Glastonbury during Bob Vylan performance
It is understood Tim Davie was on a visit to meet staff at the Somerset music event on Saturday afternoon and was informed after Bobby Vylan, one half of the British rap punk duo, led his audience in chants that also included 'Free, free Palestine'. The performance at the West Holts Stage was livestreamed by the BBC but the organisation later expressed regret for not stopping its broadcast of the 'unacceptable' set. A BBC spokesperson said: 'The director-general was informed of the incident after the performance and at that point he was clear it should not feature in any other Glastonbury coverage.' The news of Mr Davie's presence at the festival comes as the Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis berated the BBC for what he called 'the airing of vile Jew-hatred' and the broadcaster's 'belated and mishandled response'. The corporation has faced strong criticism for continuing to livestream the performance on iPlayer with on-screen warnings about discriminatory language. Broadcasting regulator Ofcom saying it was 'very concerned' by the decision and the Culture Secretary claimed the issue should have been foreseeable and constituted 'a problem of leadership' for the BBC. In a post on X, Sir Ephraim wrote: 'This is a time of national shame. 'The airing of vile Jew-hatred at Glastonbury and the BBC's belated and mishandled response, brings confidence in our national broadcaster's ability to treat antisemitism seriously to a new low. 'It should trouble all decent people that now, one need only couch their outright incitement to violence and hatred as edgy political commentary, for ordinary people to not only fail to see it for what it is, but also to cheer it, chant it and celebrate it. 'Toxic Jew-hatred is a threat to our entire society.' Irish rap trio Kneecap, including member Liam Og O hAnnaidh who appeared in court earlier this month charged with a terror offence, took to the stage directly after Bob Vylan and led chants of 'Free Palestine'. On Monday, Avon and Somerset Police said it had launched a probe into both performances after reviewing video footage and audio recordings, with a senior detective appointed to lead the investigation. A police spokesman said: 'This has been recorded as a public order incident at this time while our inquiries are at an early stage. 'The investigation will be evidence-led and will closely consider all appropriate legislation, including relating to hate crimes.' In a statement on Monday, the BBC said: 'Millions of people tuned in to enjoy Glastonbury this weekend across the BBC's output but one performance within our livestreams included comments that were deeply offensive. 'The BBC respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence. 'The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves. 'We welcome Glastonbury's condemnation of the performance. 'The performance was part of a livestream of the West Holts stage on BBC iPlayer. 'The judgment on Saturday to issue a warning on screen while streaming online was in line with our editorial guidelines. 'In addition, we took the decision not to make the performance available on demand. 'The team were dealing with a live situation, but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen.' US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau announced that Bob Vylan's US visas had been revoked due to 'their hateful tirade at Glastonbury', with the duo scheduled to tour in Chicago, Brooklyn and Philadelphia in October. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the Commons on Monday the Government was 'exasperated' with the 'lack of account from the leadership' at the BBC. Ms Nandy said the incident at Worthy Farm had raised 'very, very serious questions at the highest levels of the BBC about the operational oversight and the way in which editorial standards are understood', adding that she wanted to see 'rapid action' from the broadcaster. Cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds said the scenes at Glastonbury raised wider concerns about society. He told BBC Radio 4's Today: 'There are some lessons, I think, for broadcasters from this, but let's also not shy away from the issue, which is people in a crowd glorifying violence. 'I don't think it's something we'd associate with any music festival, but it's a wider societal problem.' He added:'It's possible, I think, to be completely concerned by the scenes in Gaza and not stray into the kind of behaviour and endorsement that we saw with that performance. 'And I'm deeply shocked to be honest, that people would even not realise what I think they're participating in when they do that.' Glastonbury Festival organisers also condemned Bob Vylan's chants, saying it was 'appalled' by what was said on stage, adding 'there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence'. Bob Vylan formed in Ipswich in 2017 and have released four albums addressing issues such as racism, masculinity and class. Bobby Vylan is the stage name of Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, according to reports. His bandmate drummer uses the alias Bobbie Vylan. In a statement posted to Instagram, he said: 'Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place. 'As we grow older and our fire starts to possibly dim under the suffocation of adult life and all its responsibilities, it is incredibly important that we encourage and inspire future generations to pick up the torch that was passed to us.'
