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Columbia University students say campus atmosphere has changed after quashing of latest protest

Students at Columbia University say that they've noticed a drastic shift in mood on campus after Wednesday's protest was shut down decisively by authorities.

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Columbia University’s antisemitism task force has released its final report on instances of Jewish and Israeli students being harassed in classrooms. The nearly 70-page document outlines repeated incidents involving both students and professors and recommends changes the university should make.

The task force was created in Nov. 2023 after protests broke out on the Ivy League campus following the Oct. 7 terror attacks and the subsequent Israel-Hamas war. Dozens of students were arrested during anti-Israel demonstrations and a weeks-long encampment protesting the war.

This is the fourth report in a series looking into their policies and allegations of antisemitism. Columbia says it compiled the findings after "listening sessions" with students who came forward to describe what they’ve experienced on campus.

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The report also follows scrutiny from President Donald Trump, who has been critical of Columbia and other universities due to alleged antisemitism.

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According to the task force, Israeli students were singled out or harassed in class, including one student who was allegedly told she should be considered "one of the murderers" because she had served in the Israel Defense Forces.

In another case, the report says a teacher told students that three major Jewish donors had given money with the aim of "laundering blood money" and referred to Israel as "so-called Israel."

Anti-Israel students occupy a central lawn at Columbia University in New York City on April 21, 2024. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

The report also describes protesters entering an in-progress class in January of this year, taught by a visiting Israeli professor. The task force alleges the group targeted the course specifically because of the professor’s background and because the class focused on Zionism.

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One Jewish student, who was not Israeli, reported being told, "It’s such a shame that your people survived in order to commit mass genocide." Other students said condemnations of Israel were injected into coursework that had no connection to the class subject.

Low Memorial Library on the campus of Columbia University in New York City. (Education Images/iStock)

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The task force concluded that Columbia "lacks full-time tenure-line faculty expertise in Middle East history, politics, political economy and policy that is not explicitly anti-Zionist."

In its recommendations, the task force urged the school to adopt clearer policies, expand faculty diversity within Middle East studies and consistently enforce anti-discrimination rules.

When reached for additional comment, Columbia referred to a posted statement by the acting president of the university, Claire Shipman, thanking the task force. It can be read in full here.

"The work of this task force has been an essential part of the University’s efforts to address the challenges faced by our Jewish students, faculty, and staff. I have been heartened by the thoughtful and effective changes we have made over the course of the last two years and by the determination to forge a better future for our University displayed by so many members of our community," she wrote.