FBI urged to investigate Columbia student group for allegedly endorsing violence
Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) called on the FBI to investigate the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) student group for endorsing violence and praising a Hamas-claimed terrorist attack.
The letter cites inflammatory statements by CUAD members and criticizes Columbia's response to the group's actions.
Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) recently sent an open letter, demanding that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) open an investigation into an anti-Israel student group at Columbia University.
Specifically, the letter, which was published on Oct. 14, calls for an FBI investigation into the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) student group.
“After CUAD celebrated the anniversary of the horrific Oct. 7 attacks as a ‘moral, military and political victory,’ praised a Hamas-claimed terrorist attack in Tel Aviv, and once again called for and endorsed violence, Ernst and Stefanik urged the FBI’s New York field office and Columbia University leadership not to repeat last year’s failures, when Jewish students were told to hide at home,” a joint press release states.
The letter itself quotes a CUAD member as having stated, “Zionists don’t deserve to live,” “I feel very comfortable—very comfortable—calling for those people to die,” and “Be grateful that I’m not just going out and murdering Zionists.”
The letter notes that CUAD initially apologized for the statements, but thereafter “apologized for the apology” and redoubled its advocacy for “liberation by any means necessary, including armed resistance.”
“Notably, earlier in the week, the same group endorsed the Hamas-claimed terrorist attack in Tel Aviv, embracing the same language used in its publicly posted threat, calling it ‘a significant act of resistance,’” the letter continued.
Ernst and Stefanik continued to urge the FBI to open an investigation into CUAD to prevent widespread acts of significant violence.
“In light of the considerable violence occurring for which this group is already responsible, and Columbia University’s inability and unwillingness to police its own campus necessitating it to request the NYPD intervene, federal intervention is now necessary,” the congresswomen wrote.
“The time to act is now. Rarely has the FBI had such public and obvious evidence of potentially imminent violence,” the letter concluded. “Put simply, the writing is on the wall and you have no excuse. Do your job.”
Columbia administrators recently condemned the anti-Israel student group’s calls for violence.
“Statements advocating for violence or harm are antithetical to the core principles upon which this institution was founded,” university officials wrote.
Campus Reform has contacted Columbia University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
