On April 22, 2024, Nassau County Executive Bruce A Blakeman (Bruce A Blakeman) spoke in front of Columbia University, which was occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters.
Charlie Triballo | AFP | Getty Images
Billionaire donors including Robert Kraft and Leon Cooperman are weighing their support for Columbia University as tensions rise on campus due to pro-Palestinian protests.
Friction Colombia Anti-Semitic rhetoric has been reported on and off campus, and students have set up tent camps on campus to protest Israel’s bombing of Gaza, with protests escalating in recent days.
Kraft, who has donated millions of dollars to the school, denounced the protests on Monday, just hours after Columbia University President Nemat “Minoush” Shafiq It was announced that classes would be held virtually “to de-escalate the hatred of the protests”.
“I am unwilling to support the university until corrective measures are taken,” Kraft said in a statement. statement. “I hope Columbia University and its leadership will confront this hatred by ending these protests immediately and work to earn the respect and trust of many of us who have lost faith in this institution.”
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft listens to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell discuss various issues surrounding the league ahead of Super Bowl LIII on January 30, 2019, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Topic speaking to the media.
Austin McPhee | Illustrated Sportsline | Getty Images
Kraft is chairman and CEO of The Kraft Group and founder of the Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism (FCAS). He also owns the New England Patriots.exist 2000Columbia opened the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life in his name and dedicated an athletic field to him in 2007 “in recognition of his extremely generous contributions.”
FCAS and Kraft Group did not immediately respond to requests for clarification on whether Kraft’s statement meant he would formally suspend financial contributions to Colombia.
“Columbia is grateful for Mr. Kraft’s years of generosity and service to Columbia,” a Columbia spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC. “This is a time of crisis for many members of our community, and we are committed to serving They provide needed support while keeping the campus safe.”
Kraft’s public opposition raised questions about whether other high-profile donors would suspend their support for the school.
“I can’t say that yet,” Omega Family Office Chairman and CEO Leon Cooperman told CNBC when asked if he would follow Kraft’s lead.
He said he would continue to donate to Columbia Business School “when they approach him.”
“I’m upset about what’s going on in schools. But you know, I don’t want to hold the government responsible for the demonstrations,” Cooperman said Monday. “It’s these kids who are out of control. Their brains are bad.”
Cooperman and Kraft represent so far a handful of Columbia’s wealthy donors who have spoken out about the protests.
James Gorman, executive chairman of Morgan Stanley and chairman of Columbia Business School’s board of trustees, declined to comment when reached for comment on the campus protests Sunday evening.
David Greenspan, founder of Slate Path Capital and a member of the Columbia Business School board of directors, also declined to comment through a spokesman.
CNBC contacted six of the foundations listed Columbia University At least $1 million has been donated to the school since 2014.
Leon Cooperman
Scott Mill | CNBC
Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine said protesters were unfairly profiled and that anti-Semitic rhetoric came from extremists and did not reflect the spirit of their movement.
“We are frustrated by the media attention focused on inflammatory individuals who do not represent us,” the group wrote in a statement. statement on Sunday. “We firmly reject any form of hatred or bigotry and oppose attempts by non-students to undermine our unity.”
There have been no reports of physical altercations related to the protests, but Jewish students have called to report receiving hate speech, the NYPD said at a news conference Monday.
Because Columbia is private property, the NYPD said it would not intervene on campus unless authorized by the school. But it added that police deployed a “significant police presence” in the surrounding area.
On Thursday, NYPD officers raided the protest camp at the request of university president Shafiq and arrested 108 people.
On April 22, 2024, in New York City, the United States, students held protests on the campus of Columbia University in support of the Palestinians as conflicts continued between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic organization Hamas. Protests inside and outside the university continued.
Caitlin Oakes | Reuters
Shafiq has faced competing pressures from student groups, wealthy donors and government officials.
On April 17, Shafik testified before the House Education and Workforce Committee about Columbia University’s response to anti-Semitism on campus.
On Monday, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and nine other House Republicans called on Shafik to step down for allowing what they called “illegal anti-Semitic camps.”
“It is time for Columbia to turn the page on this shameful chapter,” they wrote in a statement. “This can only be achieved by restoring order and immediate resignation.” letter.
Stefanik has turned this anger against the Ivy League into part of her political brand.
At a congressional hearing on anti-Semitism in December, Stefanik chastised the presidents of Harvard, Penn State and MIT for hesitating over whether calling for genocide against Jews would violate the universities’ free speech protections .
The incident sparked a revolt led by conservatives and wealthy donors that ultimately led to the resignations of the presidents of Harvard and Penn.
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