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White House comments on pro-Palestinian protests, reports of antisemitic incidents at Columbia
At a Friday press conference, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, SIPA ’03, was asked if Biden was aware of the arrests at Columbia and if he had a message to the protesters.
By Joseph Zuloaga / Columbia Daily SpectatorThe White House acknowledged the right to free speech on college campuses as well as student safety.By Joseph Zuloaga and Daksha Pillai • April 22, 2024 at 3:38 AM
By Joseph Zuloaga and Daksha Pillai • April 22, 2024 at 3:38 AM
President Joe Biden released a Sunday statement condemning antisemitism on college campuses after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, SIPA ’03, and deputy press secretary Andrew Bates responded to questions about protests on and off Columbia’s campus over the weekend.
At protests both on and off campus, Jewish students have reported multiple antisemitic incidents, including verbal abuse and a physical assault. On Sunday morning, Rabbi Elie Buechler, director of the Orthodox Union-Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus at Columbia/Barnard Hillel, recommended Jewish students return home due to potential threats to their safety.
In his Sunday statement regarding Passover, Biden tied the story of persecution against Jews in the Haggadah to the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 and how it has led to a surge in antisemitism.
“Even in recent days, we’ve seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews,” Biden wrote. “This blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous – and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country.”
At the White House’s Friday press conference, Jean-Pierre was asked if Biden was aware of the arrests at Columbia and if he had a message to the protesters.
[Read more: Shafik authorizes NYPD to sweep ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment,’ officers in riot gear arrest over 100]
She said that she “won’t speak to the specifics” regarding the protests because of the ongoing civil rights investigation by the Department of Education into antisemitism and Islamophobia at Columbia.
“We know this is a deeply painful moment for many communities impacted by this conflict,” Jean-Pierre said in the briefing. “The president and our administration continues to speak out and forcefully condemn antisemitism, and our administration is implementing the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.”
“In recent months, we’ve seen a shocking rise in antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab hate in the U.S. and around the world,” she continued. “[Biden] has also been clear that hate has no place in America, whether it is based on race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or any other form of hate, which is why there is no place for discrimination on college campuses or anywhere—anywhere in America.”
She added that Biden believes “that free speech, debate, and non-discrimination on college campuses are important American values,” and that “when students are subject to hostile environments because of their faith or ethnicity, schools must act. Students must be safe to learn.”
Following Jean-Pierre’s Friday briefing, Bates told the Times of Israel on Sunday that “while every American has the right to peaceful protect, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous—they have absolutely no place on any college campus, or anywhere in the United States of America.”
“Echoing the rhetoric of terrorist organizations, especially in the wake of the worst massacre committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, is despicable. We condemn these statements in the strongest terms,” Bates added.
The reported incidents include Jewish students holding Israeli flags being told “go back to Poland” and one protester holding a sign reading “Al-Qasam’s Next Targets,” referring to the military wing of Hamas, with an arrow pointing to pro-Israel counterprotesters.
Later in the briefing, a reporter asked Jean-Pierre if Biden saw the arrests by the New York Police Department as a threat to freedom of speech or assembly.
“We understand that this time is incredibly painful for many Americans. And at the same time, it’s important for schools to protect students,” Jean-Pierre responded. “It is one of the things that we have to do, … respecting … their freedom, obviously, to debate on their campuses. But students should feel safe.”
Staff Writer Joseph Zuloaga can be contacted at joseph.zuloaga@columbiaspectator.com. Follow him on X @josephzuloaga.
Staff Writer Daksha Pillai can be contacted at daksha.pillai@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec.
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