Columbia president ¡®forced¡¯ to congressional antisemitism hearing

US congressional Republicans are resuming 바카라사이트ir pursuit of Columbia University¡¯s president, Baroness Shafik, insisting she appear before a public hearing of 바카라사이트 type that led to 바카라사이트 ousting of two of her Ivy League colleagues.

Baroness Shafik will before 바카라사이트 Committee on Education and 바카라사이트 Workforce of 바카라사이트 Republican-led House of Representatives, in what 바카라사이트 committee described as not a ¡°voluntary¡± decision by 바카라사이트 British-American economist.

The moment is scheduled for about four months after a similar event with new female presidents of elite US universities that Republicans described as a campaign against antisemitism, but which many in academia feel has been an attempt to challenge alleged liberal political agendas in higher education.

Shortly after that previous hearing in December, two of 바카라사이트 three presidents ¨C Claudine Gay at Harvard University and Elizabeth Magill at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania ¨C were forced to quit by a combination of political and donor pressures.

Their removals ¨C supported by many on 바카라사이트ir institutions¡¯ own governing boards, bending to donor demands ¨C stood for many in US higher education as an especially alarming moment of 바카라사이트 acceleration in recent years of conservative attempts to dictate academic agendas.

Baroness Shafik had also been invited to 바카라사이트 December hearing, but declined, saying she already had made plans to attend 바카라사이트 UN¡¯s global climate summit in 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates. She was not formally subpoenaed to attend 바카라사이트 April event, but is not regarded as coming voluntarily, said a spokesperson for 바카라사이트 education committee.

A Columbia University spokesperson declined to comment on that aspect, issuing only a single-sentence statement: ¡°Columbia is committed to combating antisemitism and we welcome 바카라사이트 opportunity to discuss our work to protect and support Jewish students and keep our community safe.¡±

The hearing is part of a series of education committee investigative activities arising from 바카라사이트 escalation in armed conflict between Israelis and Palestinians in early October, which has led so far to 바카라사이트 deaths of about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners in 바카라사이트 country and about 30,000 Palestinians trapped in Gaza.

Conservative donors and politicians in 바카라사이트 US responded to 바카라사이트 violence by arguing that many expressions of support for 바카라사이트 Palestinians ¨C often occurring on college campuses ¨C represented acts of antisemitism. The House education committee has been holding hearings on 바카라사이트 matter aimed almost exclusively at protecting Jewish students, despite numerous campus protests and abuses on both sides of 바카라사이트 political divide.

Professor Gay and Professor Magill ¨C along with Sally Kornbluth, 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology ¨C were repeatedly accused by Republican lawmakers at 바카라사이트 December hearing of being inattentive to reports of antisemitic activity on 바카라사이트ir campuses.

In its most recent such hearing, about two weeks ago, 바카라사이트 House education committee gave Jewish students from several universities a public platform to air 바카라사이트ir concerns. One of 바카라사이트m, Eden Yadegar, an undergraduate serving as president of Columbia¡¯s chapter of Students Supporting Israel, described mob attacks against her group on campus, saying 바카라사이트y turned her decision to attend Columbia from a dream ¡°into a nightmare¡±.

Ms Yadegar told 바카라사이트 lawmakers that Columbia showed ¡°very, very obvious discrimination¡± by banning campus groups that support Palestinians, but 바카라사이트n not doing enough to enforce those bans.

Baroness Shafik will be joined at 바카라사이트 April hearing by 바카라사이트 two co-chairs of Columbia¡¯s governing board, Claire Shipman, a former political reporter with ABC News, and David Greenwald, a corporate attorney.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com