In the wake of the October 7th, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, an unexpected voice emerged as a passionate defender of Israel: Shai Davidai.
Davidai was enjoying life as a husband, father and assistant professor at Columbia University's Business School. An Israeli-American academic, he had long been recognized for his critical stance towards Israeli policies. As a self-described "committed left-wing Israeli," he was no stranger to demonstrating against government decisions.
However, the events of October 7th and the subsequent reactions he witnessed on college campuses, particularly at Columbia University, compelled him to speak out in a way few had anticipated.
The atmosphere Davidai encountered at Columbia in the aftermath of the attack deeply troubled him. He particularly took issue with the administration's failure to denounce pro-Palestinian student organizations, which he labeled as "pro-terrorist."
Davidai's outspoken advocacy has not only drawn attention but also resulted in alarming incidents.
In a recent shocking development, an imam from Utica, New York, named Tom Facchine, called to "take out" Davidai during a webinar titled "Islamic Political Activism," hosted by the Columbia University branch of Students for Justice in Palestine.
"If you're able to take out somebody like that and make an example, that might shut up a hundred more," Facchine said during the online event. The video of his remarks was later removed from Instagram and permanently banned from the platform. Facchine, who has had a complex religious and ideological journey, also questioned how to get Davidai "in trouble" or create a situation where he's "in jeopardy."
In response to these threats, Columbia University initiated an investigation, enlisting outside security experts. Despite the alarming nature of the comments, the university's vice president of public safety, Gerald Lewis, stated that the investigation concluded Facchine's rhetoric "did not create conditions that require enhanced security measures."
Undeterred by the threats, Davidai remains resolute in his stance. "I will not be silenced—I know I'm speaking the truth," he declared in response to the imam's remarks. "It feels like they put a target on my back with the explicit goal to take me down, to get me fired, to make up complaints about me."
* Yeshiva World News contributed to this article.