On Friday, Columbia University in New York, one of the top universities in the United States, bowed to pressure from the Trump administration, which accused the institution of insufficiently combating anti-Semitism on campus.
In response to the threat of losing $400 million in federal funding, the university announced its willingness to comply with nine demands set forth by the government.
The university plans to increase the number of security personnel, grant them the authority to arrest individuals who violate campus rules, ban the wearing of masks, and create a position of curator responsible for overseeing the departments focused on Middle Eastern and African studies.
Columbia University became a center for pro-Palestinian protests that erupted amid Israel’s military operation in Gaza, which began after the terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. The protests raised concerns among Jewish students, who reported a rise in anti-Semitism and threats to their safety on campus.
On March 7, Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced the cancellation of grants and contracts worth $400 million, citing the university’s failure to protect Jewish students.
