THE ISRAELI GENOCIDE IN GAZA CONTINUES: 40.000 INNOCENT PALESTINIAN CHILDREN AND WOMEN WERE KILLED BY JEWISH ISRAELIS! THE RECTOR OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY RESIGNS!

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THE ISRAELI GENOCIDE IN GAZA CONTINUES: 40.000 INNOCENT PALESTINIAN CHILDREN AND WOMEN WERE KILLED BY JEWISH ISRAELIS! THE RECTOR OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY RESIGNS!

Minouche Shafik, the rector of Columbia University, one of the most prestigious universities in the United States, resigned on Wednesday. Shafik has been under fire for his response to weeks of pro-Palestinian protests on campus and for allowing police to enter the campus to intervene with protesters.

It was announced that three deans of the university in New York had resigned in recent days. Authorities said the deans made disparaging comments about Jewish life and anti-Semitism during campus discussions.

Shafik, who took office in July, announced his resignation in an email to the university community ahead of the start of classes on September 3.

As of Monday, the university has restricted campus access to those with Columbia ID cards and registered guests. The move was said to prevent "potential disruptions" as the new semester approaches.

Shafik noted in her letter that they had made “progress in a number of important areas,” but said that during her tenure, “it was difficult to navigate the diverse views of our community.”

“This period has been a great burden on my family, and it has been for other community members as well,” Shafik said. “I have reflected over the summer and decided that moving forward at this point would be the best way for Columbia to meet the challenges it will face.”

Shafik announced that she will return to the U.K. and will lead efforts to revise the foreign ministry’s approach to international development.

“I very much welcome this opportunity to work on combating global poverty and promoting sustainable development, areas of interest to me throughout my life,” she wrote.

Shafik was the first woman to hold the role, joining a number of other women who have recently been appointed to Ivy League institutions.

The Egyptian economist previously led the London School of Economics, but is also known outside of academia for her roles at the World Bank, the U.K.’s Department for International Development, the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of England.

At the time of Shafik’s appointment, Columbia Board Chairman Jonathan Lavine called him “a leader with an unwavering confidence in the vital role that institutions of higher education can play in solving the world’s most complex problems.”

The university’s board of governors also announced that Katrina Armstrong, CEO of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, will take over on an interim basis.

“Challenging times present both the opportunity and the responsibility for serious leadership to emerge from every group and individual in our community,” Armstrong said. “As I step into this role, I recognize the challenges the university has faced over the past year.”

Campus protests
Columbia is just one of the universities rocked by student protests this year. The demonstrations, which have spread to numerous college campuses across the country, have resulted in violent clashes between police and protesters and thousands of arrests.

Shafik was one of the university leaders who were questioned by Congress earlier this year. Republicans have slammed the president, saying he has failed to adequately address concerns about anti-Semitism on the university’s campus.

While Shafik was testifying to Congress in mid-April, pro-Palestinian protesters set up tents on Columbia’s campus.

Police were sent to clear the tents the next day, but students returned, sparking similar protests on campuses across the country. Students demanded that schools cut their financial ties to Israel and its war supporters.

The weeks-long protests have also been the focus of national media.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson condemned the protests, while Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez supported them.

Eventually, talks between the school and the protesters came to a standstill, and a deadline was set for the activists to be evacuated, but a group instead occupied Hamilton Hall.

A large-scale graduation ceremony at Columbia University was canceled after the protests ended.

The campus was mostly quiet over the summer, but in June, a conservative news outlet published alleged text messages between deans during a May 31 panel called “Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present and Future.”

The officials were removed from their posts, and Shafik said in a July 8 letter to the school community that the messages were unprofessional and “disturbingly tapped into old antisemitic stereotypes.”

Resignation welcomed

Shafik’s critics welcomed the end of his term. Johnson said the resignation was “long awaited” and that he expected it to set an example for other university administrators that “tolerating or protecting anti-Semites is unacceptable and will have consequences.”

The Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine student group also said in a statement on the social media platform X that Shafik “finally got the message.”

Wave of resignations
Shafik’s resignation is the latest in a wave of resignations at leading Ivy League schools rocked by pro-Palestinian protests in recent months.

University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill resigned in December amid pressure from donors and criticism from Congress.

In January, Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned after facing similar criticism over allegations of plagiarism and testimony before Congress. Euronews

THE ISRAELI GENOCIDE IN GAZA CONTINUES: 40.000 INNOCENT PALESTINIAN CHILDREN AND WOMEN WERE KILLED BY JEWISH ISRAELIS! THE RECTOR OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY RESIGNS!

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