Masked protesters disrupted a Modern Israeli History lecture at Columbia University's Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies today, distributing inflammatory flyers calling to "burn and crush Zionism," according to multiple witnesses.
The incident occurred during Professor Avi Shilon's class, where protesters concealing their identities burst into the classroom, causing immediate disruption to the academic session.
The disruption marks yet another troubling development at Columbia, where Jewish students have increasingly reported feeling unsafe. Today's events took on an especially menacing tone as the masked individuals distributed materials containing explicit threats against Zionism and Jewish symbols on campus.
Professor Shilon's course on Modern Israeli History, a regular part of the university's curriculum, was forced to temporarily suspend activities during the demonstration. Campus security was notified, though the protesters had departed before their arrival.
This incident highlights the ongoing challenges universities face in balancing open discourse with academic safety. Jewish student organizations on campus have called for immediate action, including enhanced security measures and clear consequences for classroom disruptions.
Columbia University's administration, already under scrutiny for its handling of campus tensions, faces mounting pressure to address these security breaches. Questions about how masked individuals gained access to academic buildings and classrooms remain unanswered.
Columbia University also sparked outrage by appointing Professor Joseph Massad to teach a course on Zionism in spring 2025, despite his controversial statements celebrating the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
Massad, who teaches Modern Arab Politics, wrote an article for The Electronic Intifada describing the attacks as "astounding" and "incredible," praising scenes of fighters breaching Israel's border while families were still searching for victims.
Nearly 80,000 people signed a petition demanding Massad's removal. Critics, including George Mason University law Professor Adam Mossoff, have compared the appointment to "hiring members of the Nazi party to teach the history of World War II."
In a separate development, Professor Shai Davidai, a professor at Columbia Business School, just discovered that his temporary ban from campus was made into a permanent ban and that he would not be allowed to teach his class, as a result of his outspoken criticism of the university's handling of violent antisemitic protests and encampments that sprang up since Hamas' October 7th attack.
President Donald Trump has promised to shut down antisemitism on US college campuses, bringing hope to educational institutions plagued by violence and riots.
Jewish Breaking News contributed to this article.
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