Posted on 04/22/24
| News Source: Arutz-7
US President Joe Biden said on Monday that he condemns the antisemitic protests taking place on the Columbia University campus.
At the same time, the President also said to reporters that he condemns “those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians."
A reporter asked Biden, "Do you condemn the antisemitic protests on college campuses?" to which the President replied, “I condemn the antisemitic protests. That’s why I have set up a program to deal with that. I also condemn those who don't understand what's going on with the Palestinians."
Biden, in a statement ahead of the holiday of Passover issued on Sunday, denounced the spike in campus antisemitism since October 7, though he did not specifically mention Columbia University.
“The ancient story of persecution against Jews in the Haggadah also reminds us that we must speak out against the alarming surge of Antisemitism – in our schools, communities, and online. Silence is complicity. Even in recent days, we’ve seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous – and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country. My Administration will continue to speak out and aggressively implement the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, putting the full force of the federal government behind protecting the Jewish community,” Biden said in the statement.
The pro-Palestinian Arab protests at Columbia have intensified in recent days. On Thursday, more than 100 people were arrested by New York Police Department officers on a preliminary charge of criminal trespass, as police entered Columbia University to disperse a pro-Palestinian Arab protest that began a day earlier.
On Saturday night, the Chabad rabbi of Columbia University and a group of Jewish students were forced to leave the university campus for their own safety during a pro-Hamas demonstration.