Biden denounces ‘Antisemitic Demonstrations’ at Columbia University

President Joe Biden reiterated his condemnation of the “antisemitic protests” at Columbia University and other universities, as well as the protesters who lack understanding of the situation with the Palestinians.

Biden made these comments during an Earth Day event at Prince William Forest Park in Triangle, Va., alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the de facto leader of “The Squad.” His remarks were made just before the Jewish holiday of Passover.

During his speech, Biden stated, “I condemn the antisemitic protests and have set up a program to address them. I also condemn those who do not grasp the complexities of the Palestinian situation and their …” He was cut off before completing his sentence, as reported by The Hill.

These public comments followed a statement released by the White House the previous night, where Biden emphasized, “Even in recent days, we’ve seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous and has no place on college campuses or anywhere in our country.”

While Biden did not call for the resignation of Columbia President Minouche Shafik in light of the pro-Hamas protests, he did express uncertainty on the matter.

House Republican Conference chair Elise Stefanik issued a statement urging Shafik to resign, stating that Columbia’s leadership had failed to enforce campus rules and protect Jewish students. Amidst escalating tensions on campus, a prominent rabbi advised Jewish students to go home due to safety concerns.

Recent events at Columbia University have highlighted the lack of control by the institution’s leadership, endangering the safety of Jewish students, according to Stefanik.