Columbia professor barred from campus after holding pro-Jewish rally
Columbia University professor Shai Davidai joins 'America's Newsroom' to discuss antisemitism on the Ivy League institution's campus after he was barred from the campus after hosting a pro-Jewish rally.
A Columbia professor barred from campus after hosting a pro-Jewish rally slammed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Wednesday, following her comments on the "nonviolent" anti-Israel protesters.
"AOC is agent of chaos, and I am just looking forward to my kids and grandkids reading about this chapter in history, and the list of all the rabid antisemites, and to see her name," professor Shai Davidai told "America's Newsroom."
"This is not a peaceful protest… she is lying to the people just like [Rep.] Rashida Tlaib, just like Cynthia Nixon from ‘Sex and the City,’ just like The New York Times," he continued.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., made a post criticizing Columbia University's decision to bring in law enforcement. (Tom Williams/Getty Images)
Cortez, in her X post on Tuesday, wrote, "Calling in police enforcement on nonviolent demonstrations of young students on campus is an escalatory, reckless, and dangerous act. It represents a heinous failure of leadership that puts people’s lives at risk. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms."
Her rhetoric came as chaos on Columbia's campus ignited concerns among the Jewish community as they feared for students' safety. One rabbi even warned Jewish students to leave campus, cautioning that the NYPD "cannot guarantee your safety."
Anti-Israel protesters, meanwhile, have been heard chanting "Al-Qassam, you make us proud, kill another soldier now!" "We say justice, you say how. Burn Tel Aviv to the ground!" and "Hamas, we love you. We support your rockets, too!"
Anti-Israel agitators construct an encampment on Columbia University’s campus in New York City on Monday. (Peter Gerber)
Davidai, who was born in Israel and has been critical of Columbia's response to the widespread protests, planned a counter-demonstration. He said Monday that his keycard to enter the school's main campus had been deactivated.
The development outraged Jewish students, prompting them to chant, "Let Shai in!"
In an X post, Davidai wrote, "Earlier today, Columbia University refused to let me onto campus. Why? Because they cannot protect my safety as a Jewish professor. This is 1938."
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Davidai told "America's Newsroom" that Jewish students are scared and fleeing campus as the chaos ensues. He also said he has been outspoken about antisemitism and the alarming support for Hamas among protesters for six months, adding that campus leadership never responded to his messages.
Fox News Digital previously reached out to Columbia for comment.
"Columbia has two presidents right now, and it's Rashida Tlaib and [Rep.] Ilhan Omar, because this is not about Israel. This is about America, and the university just decided that they don't care about Jewish safety. They don't care about the Jewish students. They are negotiating with suspended organizations that want to burn everything down," Davidai said.
"This is not about Democrats or Republicans. This is about moderates versus extremes," he added later. "You've got extremists on the left and extremists on the right, but moderate Republicans and moderate Democrats, we all understand the same thing. They all understand that this is about America."
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Columbia University President Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik said in a statement Monday that she was "deeply saddened" by the chaos riddling the campus.
"Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm," she said. "Students across an array of communities have conveyed fears for their safety, and we have announced additional actions we are taking to address security concerns. The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days. These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas."
"We need a reset," she added. "To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday. Faculty and staff who can work remotely should do so; essential personnel should report to work according to university policy. Our preference is that students who do not live on campus will not come to campus."
Fox News' Danielle Wallace and Brian Flood contributed to this report.
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