Over 650 American Jewish professors and students have written a joint letter condemning the cancellation of more than $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University – a move Donald Trump says is in response to its handling of antisemitism allegations.
On March 7th, the Trump administration announced the immediate cancellation of approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia – including funding from the Department of Justice, the Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Human Services.
The university was told that these funds were being withheld because they had not done enough to suppress antisemitism, and the same rationale has been since used to propose further cuts to other universities and colleges across the U.S.
But in an open letter, the signatories complain:”Harming U.S. universities does not protect Jewish people.”
They add:”Cutting funding for research does not protect Jewish people. Punishing researchers and scholars does not protect Jewish people.
“These actions do, however, limit opportunities for students and scholars – within the Jewish community and beyond – to receive training, conduct research, and engage in free expression.
“In fact, harming universities makes everyone less safe, including Jews. History teaches us that the loss of individual rights and freedoms for any group often begins with silencing scientists and scholars, people who devote their lives to the pursuit of knowledge — a pursuit that is core to Jewish culture.”
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The significant group of Jewish faculty, scholars, and students at U.S. universities say they have “diverse views on Israel and Gaza, on American politics, and on the Trump administration. ”
They add:” We have diverse views on the administration of Columbia University, and on the way it has responded to protests.
“What unites us is that we refuse to let our Jewish identities be used as a pretext for destroying institutions that have long made America great – American universities and the research and knowledge they produce. ”
The Trump administration has said Columbia must take steps including enforcing existing disciplinary rules, centralising disciplinary processes to the Office of the President and creating time, plan and manner rules for protesting and banning masks except for religious or health reasons.
Additional measures include creating a plan to hold student groups accountable and adopting a formal definition of antisemitism.
They are also told to put Middle East, South Asian and African Studies under academic receivership andcreate a plan for admissions reform.
Columbia has until Thursday to agree to the terms.
