Columbia profs condemn report by anti-Semitism task force, call for group to be disbanded
The professors attacked the report for damaging Columbia’s reputation and called it a ‘blunt instrument.’
They also called for the task force that combats anti-Semitism to be disbanded before it ‘exacerbates the divisions that have been plaguing us.’
Professors at Columbia University have strongly criticized the school’s Task Force on anti-Semitism report, calling for the committee to be disbanded before it “exacerbates the divisions that have been plaguing us.”
Following the release of the report titled “Student Experiences of Antisemitism and Recommendations for Promoting Shared Values and Inclusion,” Columbia faculty members issued a letter on Sept. 5 condemning the report as “misleading” and “neglectful.”
The task force’s report details many instances of anti-Semitic harassment targeted against Jewish students at Columbia’s campus, notes that many victimized students often failed to get justice from Columbia’s leadership, provides a “working definition of antisemitism” that “draws on experiences of many Jewish and Israeli students,” and makes recommendations for combating anti-Semitism at the school.
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In response, Columbia’s faculty claimed the report was damaging to Columbia’s reputation, and alleged that the testimonies from Jewish and Israeli students were subjected to “analysis and framing that misrepresent their meaning and implications.”
The letter addresses the Task Force’s alleged failures in documenting students’ concerns in its report. These supposed failures include “neglectful omissions of context,” “slippery definitions” of anti-Semitism and Zionism, and “factual misrepresentations.”
The writers also allege that some of the report’s recommendations could “threaten to damage the fabric of our community.”
“Nuance and precision matter as we seek to restore trust, openness, and free speech in a climate of open inquiry. Intellectual honesty and respect for all parties affected matter if we are to protect community members in a time of armed conflict. We cannot achieve these crucial goals with the blunt instrument of the Task Force’s report,” the letter reads.
The Columbia professors also blamed the report for supposedly “cherry picking” data, and criticized its definitions of Zionism and anti-Zionism.
“We urge you to disband the Task Force before it further imperils faculty members, threatens academic freedom, damages the University’s reputation, and exacerbates the divisions that have been plaguing us,” the letter concludes.
Despite the letter’s criticisms, some have agreed with the report’s findings that anti-Semitism has been a growing problem at Columbia.
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“Since October 7th, students and outsiders in the guise of ‘protestors’ have threatened the safety of every single member of the university, especially those of Israeli descent,” Thomas Grlic, a Columbia alumnus, told Campus Reform.
“Since that day, Columbia University’s staff has made it clear which side they stood on, the very people who have brought chaos and disorder to the university,” Grlic added.
Campus Reform has contacted Columbia University, the Task Force on anti-Semitism, and some of the letter writers for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
