Republican Members of the State Senate Call for Accountability and Consequences for Antisemitic Protests

Senators Jack Martins, Bill Weber, and Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, all members of the Senate Republican Antisemitism Working Group, joined community supporters in front of Columbia University on Friday, May 4, to call on President Minouche Shafik to testify before a joint meeting of the New York State Senate Higher Education and Government Operations Committees regarding the endangerment of Jewish students on the University’s campus. The Senators also called on their colleagues in the Senate Legislature to demand accountability from Columbia by joining their call for such testimony.

On Wednesday, Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and his colleagues sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Higher Education Committee Chair Toby Stavisky, and Investigations and Government Operations Chair James Skoufis calling for President Shafik to appear before a joint meeting of the Higher Education and Investigations and Government Operations committees to ensure the safety of all students on campus, present her plan of action to defuse future pro-Hamas protests, and discuss lessons that Columbia’s leaders have learned in the wake of the bedlam of these past several weeks. 

Instead of a strong show of support for Jewish students, New York State Senate Democratic leaders have remained silent regarding pro-Hamas protests at Columbia University, as well as on SUNY and CUNY campuses and institutions of higher learning throughout the nation. Some Democratic leaders have even expressed support for the protesters. 

These protests showcased vile and morally repugnant conduct by students who participated, including explicit expressions of support for violent terrorists, hate speech and bigotry of the worst kind against Jews, including calls for Jews to be killed, harassment and intimidation of their classmates, destruction of campus property, burglary and forcible takeover of campus buildings, and physical attacks on police officers. The Columbia protests supported the very groups that perpetrated the horrifying attacks of October 7, 2023. Chants heard at Columbia over the past week included, “We are Hamas,” “Hamas, make us proud,” and “Kill another soldier now.” These are not peaceful protests; they are abhorrent to our foundational principles as Americans, and every single member of the State Legislature needs to call them out.

“The atrocities committed on October 7th by the Hamas terror organization were horrific and the worst attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust," said Senator Bill Weber. "Since then, what has occurred on college campuses in New York State and throughout the country has only compounded the tragedy. The illegal encampment at Columbia University should've been dealt with swiftly and appropriately. Instead, we've seen vandalism, lawlessness, and hatred toward Jewish students. Today, I joined my Senate colleagues on the right side of this issue, calling for hearings to determine why this was allowed to happen and ensure that it won't be tolerated from here on in. We also spoke in unison to commend the NYPD for their professionalism and bravery during these trying times, with a joint promise never to defund them.”

“It's time to hold people accountable for their failure of leadership. This type of neglect would never happen to any other group of students. All forms of hate should be strongly condemned by those in charge of keeping students safe, and Jewish students cannot be an exception to the standard. It's time to start including Jewish students in the conversation and not turn a blind eye in the face of hatred. Silence is complicity, and evil thrives when people do not strongly fight it,” closed Emily Austin, journalist, social media influencer and independent NBA Broadcaster.