A student group at Columbia Law School has sparked a storm of controversy by asserting that Jewish students cannot be truly safe or free until Palestine is liberated. The group's provocative statement has drawn condemnation from Jewish leaders and raised concerns about campus safety.
In an email allegedly sent by Columbia Law's National Lawyers Guild organization on Friday, the group condemned the school's administration and the NYPD for clearing out Hamilton Hall after it had been occupied by anti-Israel protesters.
In a highly divisive response, the group declared that "no Jew is safe" or "free" until Palestine achieves liberation. The message further criticized Jewish students, faculty, and trustees who support divestment and endorse the university's crackdown on protesters.
The group's email dismissed concerns over the safety of Jewish students and faculty, claiming that they are being used as a pretext for Columbia's violence. They argued that the protection of Jewish students and faculty is a "dangerous, flimsy pretext" for the university's actions.
However, the group's statement has been met with widespread condemnation, particularly from Jewish leaders. Conference of European Rabbis Chairman Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt decried the message as threatening the safety and freedom of Jewish students on campus and Jews globally.
According to the New York chapter of the National Lawyer's Guild's website, its mission is to provide fellowship for those who seek excellence in law practice and embrace a radical vision of economic, social, and environmental justice. Mass defense to these movements and victims of police repression is a core tenet of their practice.
Approximately 300 people were arrested at Columbia and nearby City College on Tuesday night, with preliminary charges that ranged from trespassing to criminal mischief to burglary. Many of the protesters in Hamilton Hall were not students at the university but outside agitators, according to the NYPD.
The National Lawyers Guild's statement is seen as another escalation in the ongoing campus protests. Jewish leaders and commentators are concerned that the direct threats and escalating calls for destruction of university property may spread to other campuses.
Rabbi David Markowitz, executive vice president of Olami, has stated that Columbia University is the epicenter of violent campus protests across the US. He urged universities to learn from the recent events and take a zero-tolerance stance against threats, hatred, and violence.
The Columbia Law Guild's declaration has sparked a heated debate about campus safety, anti-Semitism, and the role of student activism in addressing social and political issues. The university and its community now face the challenge of addressing the deep divisions and concerns raised by the controversial statement.
