Columbia University

The three December 2024 proposals by Columbia students, faculty, and staff accused the Israeli government and military of human rights violations, war crimes, and apartheid.

Mamdani’s defenders argue that he has consistently denounced hate crimes and that critics are conflating disagreement with bigotry.

The son of a Ugandan academic of Indian origins and an Indian-American filmmaker, Mamdani was born and spent several years as a child in Uganda's capital Kampala.

Professor Marianne Hirsch also argued the Holocaust must be taught alongside Gaza and the "Nakba," warning against “exceptionalism” in Holocaust memory.

Following the Gaza ceasefire, anti-Israel activists ramp up calls to dismantle Zionism, demanding arms embargoes, Palestinian sovereignty, and the right of return.

"For the first time you are actually finally starting to see accountability for the bad behavior of a lot of people,” Dhillon said.

Louisiana immigration Judge Jamee Comans orders Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil’s deportation to Algeria or Syria, citing activism ties. His legal team appeals the decision in a civil rights case.

Kahn is meant to “build and lead initiatives that cultivate curiosity, civic purpose, and meaningful dialogue - facilitating student engagement with faculty outside the classroom.”

Columbia students overall want to get back to what we do best: being students. That is a good and healthy sign. 

Columbia entered the semester with new campus rules and federal settlement payments as activists promised continued protests and Jewish students reported intimidation.

Some within Columbia are concerned that a new antisemitism definition adopted by the university, which recognizes some criticism of Israel as discriminatory toward Jews, would chill academic freedom.