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Amid increasing threats, harassment, and violence being directed at Jewish students at campus protests and encampments across the country, American Jewish Committee (AJC) – along with our partners at Columbia/Barnard Hillel, Hillel International, and UJA-Federation of New York – called on universities and their leaders to keep Jewish students safe on their campuses.

Following a week filled with increasing threats, harassment, and violence directed at Jewish students at campus protests and encampments across the country, students from Brown, Columbia, and Rutgers demanded that university administrators better ensure the safety of Jewish students on campus. The students were joined by leadership from Columbia/Barnard Hillel, Hillel International, American Jewish Committee (AJC), and UJA-Federation of New York.

Since Oct. 7, students and faculty on college campuses around the country have been expressing blatant support for Hamas terror tactics, advocating for excluding Zionists from campus spaces and chanting antisemitic slogans. But in recent weeks we have seen an alarming escalation from deeply problematic and hateful speech to chaotic disruptions to threats of violence.

In March, demonstrators barged into a Columbia Law School luncheon for admitted students, chanting virulently anti-Israel and abusive rhetoric. The school administrators present did not object or call campus security.

Sarah van Loon, Regional Director of American Jewish Committee (AJC) Chicago, released the following statement in reaction to the agreement made between Northwestern University and protest encampment leaders.
"I am appalled at the cowardly actions of Northwestern University’s administration yesterday. In order to avoid exhibiting real leadership by enforcing its own recently amended policies, Northwestern succumbed to the demands of a mob, which has intimidated Jewish students, espoused antisemitic, hate-filled speech, and whose members have celebrated Hamas terrorists."

On CNN with Wolf Blitzer, AJC CEO Ted Deutch sets the record straight about how terror-supporting students and outside agitators have created a hostile environment for Jewish college students.