Trump cuts $400 mn from Columbia University over anti-Semitism claims

by Gregory WALTON

President Donald Trump's administration said Friday it was cutting $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University, accusing it of failing to protect Jewish students from harassment as protesters rallied against Israel's offensive in Gaza.

Four government agencies announced in a statement "the immediate cancellation of approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University due to the school's continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students."

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Trump said this week that he would cut funding for schools that allow "illegal protests," his latest threat to turn off the flow of federal money to the country's education system.

US campuses including Columbia's were rocked by student protests against Israel's war in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. The demonstrations ignited accusations of anti-Semitism.

Protests, some of which turned violent and saw campus buildings occupied and lectures disrupted, pitted students protesting Israel's conduct against pro-Israel campaigners, many of whom were Jewish.

A university spokesman said "we are reviewing the announcement from the federal agencies and pledge to work with the federal government to restore Columbia's federal funding."

"We take Columbia's legal obligations seriously and understand how serious this announcement is and are committed to combatting anti-Semitism and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff," the spokesman said.

Protests continued at Columbia this week -- on Tuesday, more than 200 pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated against former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, who was on campus for a speaking engagement.

"All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests," Trump wrote Tuesday on his platform Truth Social.

"Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on ...the crime, arrested," the post said.

- 'Anti-Semitic harassment' -

Joseph Howley, an associate professor of classics at Columbia, told AFP he hoped the university would challenge the defunding in court.

"The university has devoted tremendous resources to address discrimination and harassment over the last year and still the government makes these claims without any legal finding or official ruling," he said.

Friday's statement, issued by the US General Services Administration, said the cuts were the "first round of action" -- and that additional cancellations to the around $5 billion of federal grant commitments to Columbia are expected to follow.

"Since October 7, Jewish students have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses -- only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them," said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.

"Universities must comply with all federal anti-discrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding," she said.

"For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus. Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer."

Last month, the Justice Department announced the formation of a multi-agency task force to combat anti-Semitism.

"The task force's first priority will be to root out anti-Semitic harassment in schools and on college campuses," it said in a statement.

Two New York congressmen, Jerrold Nadler and Adriano Espaillat, said in a joint statement that "if the Trump administration were as serious about anti-Semitism as they claim, they would not have filled their ranks with unapologetic anti-Semites."

"Slashing this funding will not protect the Jewish students Trump claims to defend but will instead undermine their academic futures," they said.