The White House said it’s not okay for people to target Jewish students with violence or threats during protests at colleges in the U.S. This includes what happened recently at Columbia University in New York.
A spokesperson from the White House said, “Everyone can protest peacefully, but it’s not okay to threaten or harm Jewish students or the Jewish community. This is wrong and dangerous, and it shouldn’t happen on college campuses or anywhere else in America.”
They also said that echoing the words of terrorist groups, especially after recent violence against Jewish people, is awful. They strongly condemned these actions.
The statement came after news that a rabbi at Columbia University told 300 Jewish students to leave campus before Passover started. But the campus Hillel group disagreed and said students shouldn’t have to leave. They want the university and the city to do more to keep students safe.
Protests have been going on at Columbia University since last week when pro-Palestinian protesters set up tents on campus. The university president asked the police to help remove the tents, and over 100 protesters were arrested.
Among those arrested was Isra Hirsi, who is the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar. Hirsi goes to Barnard College, which is connected to Columbia.
Many colleges in the U.S. have seen more protests since Hamas’s attacks last October, which killed many people. Israel responded with attacks on Gaza, where many Palestinians live.
