Scandal has embroiled Columbia University and other supposedly elite institutions where rampant antisemitism and pro-Hamas activity has been running wild. Dr. Minouche Shafik, president of the university is facing calls from numerous officeholders to resign, including New York's Republican congressional delegation. As of early Tuesday morning, Shafuk has yet to do so. In an episode of "The Verdict" that aired on Monday morning, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) made that very same call while highlighting "Chaos on Campus."
As co-host Ben Ferguson pointed out, "this is almost an organized explosion of antisemitism on a second level," referring to the antisemitism we're seeing now following the October 7 attack that Hamas perpetrated against Israel as "this second wave, which is even, I would argue, more grotesque than what we saw at the beginning." Ferguson also pointed out "it also seems to be somewhat orchestrated because it is growing, not getting weaker."
Cruz agreed with such an assessment, as "it seems clear that somebody is paying for this." While "we don't know who, we don't know where the money is coming from... it is organized, it is persistent." The senator highlighted examples of how bad it's gotten, such as how an Orthodox rabbi at Columbia had to send a WhatsApp message to Jewish students urging them to return and stay home.
At Yale, as Cruz and Ferguson also mentioned, Jewish students were blocked by a pro-Hamas mob from entering campus buildings. A female Jewish student was hospitalized after she was stabbed in the eye with a Palestinian flag.
"You witness this happening, and my question is to the university, senator, how are they not suspending students that are involved in these actions," Ferguson asked when discussing how students were blocked.
Cruz responded with quite the decisive message for those who are indeed doing just that. "So, every administrator that is turning a blind eye, every administrator that is allowing this to occur, should resign in disgrace. The university's basic job is to protect the safety of every student, and these students are being threatened," he insisted.
Again referencing the message from the rabbi at Columbia, the senator pointed out, the rabbi "is saying if you're a Jewish student, you are not safe on campus, you are physically in danger, because the school that you are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to go four years to, is not willing to protect you because their ideology is so twisted, that they will allow people to threaten your lives. That is truly twisted."
Cruz brought up still more examples at Columbia, including as he pointed out "and by the way, it's not just students."
Columbia Professor Shai Davidai, posted he was showing up to campus and was requesting police escort. He has been posting throughout Sunday and Monday, including a lack of a timely response from the university.
I just send this message to the leadership at @Columbia University.
— Shai Davidai (@ShaiDavidai) April 21, 2024
I am going to be on campus Monday morning and I am requesting police escort.
Police escort for simply going to my own place of work. pic.twitter.com/akhKvDPi5m
⬇️⬇️Update ⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/1Sod7hjvO1
— Shai Davidai (@ShaiDavidai) April 22, 2024
"Like what the hell, that their own professors do not feel safe on campus because they've allowed hundreds of pro Hamas protesters to set up tents to camp in the middle of campus and to threaten the safety of Jewish students," Cruz said, referring to the pro-Hamas agitators for what they really are.
Ultimately, he was denied access to campus, Professor Davidai revealed in a now pinned post.
Earlier today, @Columbia University refused to let me onto campus.
— Shai Davidai (@ShaiDavidai) April 22, 2024
Why? Because they cannot protect my safety as a Jewish professor.
This is 1938.
When it comes to those who Ferguson referred to as "outside agitators," while also making clear that there are pro-Hamas students on campus as well, Cruz spoke to the need to "follow the money." Ferguson brought up how that's yet another reason why the university has a duty to protect their students from such troublemakers.
It's also worth noting that while top Democrats speak about free speech and the right to protest, Cruz made clear that "what we are seeing here, this is not free speech," adding "free speech gives you the right to say what you want, free speech doesn't give you the right to threaten violence, especially against other students," something nobody has the right to do. As Cruz pointed out, members of the Ku Klux Klan would not be permitted to burn crosses and threaten violence against African-American students on campus.
Cruz also dismantled another important talking point as he again referred to such terrorist sympathizers for what they are. "You get in this sort of woke, online world, you get people saying 'no, no, no, these are not pro-Hamas protesters, these are just people who standing with the innocent Palestinian people.'"
The episode then played the very much pro-Hamas chants at Columbia, leaving no doubt in any listener's mind that such agitators sympathize with terrorists and are calling for the destruction of Israel, with chants such as a call to "al-Qassam, you make us proud, take another soldier out," calls of "we say justice, you say how, burn Tel Aviv to the ground" as well as chants of "Hamas, we love you, we support your rockets too," and "red, black, green, and white, we support Hamas' fight," in addition to "it is right to rebel, al-Qassam give 'em hell, it is right to rebel, Hamas give 'em hell."
Cruz then again made clear that such agitators side with the terrorists. "These are open jihadists, they are cheering on Hamas murdering Jews. This is not simply having a political discussion," the senator emphasized, though that's what Democrats such as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul seem to think.
The senator said that "absolutely yes" there is a responsibility of the government and law enforcement when it comes to taking such threats seriously, though he still reminded that "it starts with the university administrator," as he called them out for how "they are so terrified of the politics of this that they are paralyzed" and "refuse to do anything about it."
Chaos on Campus: Columbia and Yale Erupt in Vicious Antisemitism and Threats of Violence, and University Administrators do NOTHING!@benfergusonshow and I expose universities’ horrendous antisemitism on Verdict.https://t.co/RspmhDHd8f
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 22, 2024
Join the conversation as a VIP Member