In a widely-shared video, a Columbia University professor strongly criticized university presidents, including his own, for their perceived failure to ensure the safety of Jewish students on their campuses.
The professor, Shai Davidai from the Columbia Business School, addressed the gathered students and encouraged them to record his message on their phones to share it widely. He stressed the importance of his message reaching parents who had entrusted their children’s safety to universities like Columbia, NYU, Harvard, Stanford, and Berkeley. His central message was, “We cannot protect your child.”
Professor Davidai, who identifies as Israeli but, first and foremost, as a father of two children, lamented the lack of protection for students against pro-terrorist student organizations. He criticized university presidents, including Columbia’s Minouche Shafik, for their failure to denounce such groups.
He emphasized the danger his own children, a 7-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter, could face because terrorist organizations like Hamas consider them “legitimate targets of resistance.” He condemned the cowardice of university presidents nationwide for not taking a stand against these groups, regardless of their religious affiliations.
Professor Davidai drew a parallel between allowing pro-terrorist student organizations on campuses and permitting organizations like the KKK or ISIS to hold demonstrations. He called on the students to share the video on social media, urging parents to inquire with their children’s colleges and universities about their ability to protect students from such organizations.