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Columbia University’s Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace remain suspended as new semester begins
(New York Jewish Week) — When Columbia University suspended its chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace in November, it said they could be reinstated in the spring semester if they show “a commitment to compliance with University policies.”
The new semester began on Tuesday. But the two pro-Palestinian groups remain suspended, the New York Jewish Week has learned.
A university official said the groups have not yet agreed to adhere to university rules that would allow their reinstatement. The official said administration staff had met with representatives from the groups to discuss steps toward ending the suspension.
“The groups would have to agree to fully comply with the university’s long-standing policies and procedures” to regain their recognition, the official told the New York Jewish Week. “If the groups agree to follow these prescribed steps and fully comply with university rules that apply to all student groups, they may be reinstated.”
The official added, “At present, they have not yet committed to doing so and remain suspended.”
The suspensions mean the groups cannot receive university funding or hold authorized events on campus.
The student groups did not respond to requests for comment. In a post Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter, Columbia SJP accused the university of “attempting to intimidate and harass Palestinian students from speaking out about genocide.”
“The more you try to silence us, the louder we will be,” the group said.
The two clubs were suspended as pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel activities roiled the campus and universities nationwide, following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. Their suspension marked a significant crackdown on two of Columbia’s most outspoken pro-Palestinian student groups. The university said the two clubs had violated university policies and expressed “threatening rhetoric and intimidation.”
Ahead of the suspension, the two groups held a series of protests and other actions calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas and accusing Israel of “genocide.” Other protests included a “die-in” in front of the school’s Low Library and a demand that Columbia end its dual degree program with Tel Aviv University. SJP also promoted a nine-hour sit-in at the Columbia School of Social Work in violation of school rules.
Columbia’s senior executive vice president and chair of its Special Committee on Campus Safety, Gerald Rosberg, said in November that the decision to suspend the clubs “was made after the two groups repeatedly violated University policies related to holding campus events.”
The final decision came after the groups held a rally “that proceeded despite warnings and included threatening rhetoric and intimidation,” Rosberg said in a statement.
In response, the two groups said, “You can shut our organizations down, but can’t stop our hearts from beating for liberation, humanity and the freedom of Palestine.”
On Wednesday, a university spokesperson, Samantha Slater, told the New York Jewish Week that the administration hopes “to get the non-complying groups back to working with their official advisers and in compliance with university policy to help keep our campus safe for all.”
Columbia was a focal point for controversy in the weeks after Oct. 7, amid dueling protests for and against Israel and the reported assault of an Israeli student. But the campus has received less attention since the presidents of three other elite universities — Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — gave testimony to Congress last month that the drew the ire of Jewish an other critics. Those university presidents told lawmakers that calling for the genocide of Jews did not necessarily violate university policy, provoking a firestorm of controversy that preceded Penn’s and Harvard’s presidents stepping down.
Columbia’s president, Minouche Shafik, was invited to appear before Congress at the same hearing, but declined, citing a scheduling conflict. Shafik attended a United Nations climate change conference in Dubai that day.
SJP, whose national umbrella celebrated Hamas’ Oct. 7 onslaught against Israel, has been suspended at several schools, including Florida’s public universities, George Washington University and Brandeis University. Columbia’s suspension of JVP appeared to be the first time a university suspended the Jewish anti-Zionist group.
Rutgers University in New Jersey, meanwhile, has reinstated its SJP chapter and put it on a one-year probation, according to the Bergen Record.
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The post Columbia University’s Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace remain suspended as new semester begins appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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US Reportedly Shares Intelligence with New Syrian Leadership to Counter ISIS Threats
Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, waits to welcome the senior Ukrainian delegation led by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, after the ousting of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, Dec. 30, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
i24 News – The United States has begun sharing classified intelligence with Syria’s new leadership, led by Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist group formerly designated as a terrorist organization, reports the Washington Post.
This unexpected collaboration comes in the wake of HTS overthrowing the Assad regime last month and reflects heightened US concerns about a potential resurgence of the Islamic State (ISIS).
According to sources, US intelligence recently helped thwart a planned ISIS attack on a prominent Shiite shrine near Damascus.
Despite this cooperation, US officials stress that the intelligence-sharing arrangement does not signify full support for HTS, which has a controversial history of extremism.
HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, previously known by his militant alias Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has made efforts to project a more moderate image, pledging to protect Syria’s religious minorities and stabilize the country.
However, skepticism remains about HTS’s ability to govern effectively and sustain efforts against ISIS.
The Biden administration, before leaving office, maintained HTS’s terrorist designation while easing sanctions on Syria to facilitate humanitarian aid. As the new US administration under President Donald Trump takes shape, questions loom about the future of American involvement in Syria and the ongoing military presence aimed at preventing an ISIS comeback.
The post US Reportedly Shares Intelligence with New Syrian Leadership to Counter ISIS Threats first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hostages Missing from Hamas’ Release List
A birthday cake for Kfir Bibas, who is a hostage in Hamas captivity. Thursday, January 18, 2024. (Photo: Debbie Weiss)
i24 News – The second phase of hostage releases between Israel and Hamas has sparked deep frustration and grief among the families of those still held captive.
Two hostages—Arbel Yahud and Agam Berger—were notably excluded from the list of those to be freed on Saturday, despite earlier agreements prioritizing the return of civilians.
Arbel Yahud, 29, and Agam Berger, 20, both captives since the October 7 attack, were not included in the list of four hostages expected to be released.
Yahud, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was taken along with her partner, Ariel Cunio, whose family was freed in November. Yahud’s brother, Dolev, was later found dead in June after he was killed while trying to aid the wounded. Agam Berger, from Holon, was captured while stationed at Nahal Oz. Her family identified her in a video released by Hamas, showing her in pajamas being taken away in a vehicle after she called her father to alert him of the gunfire.
The omission of these two hostages has led to heightened concerns and calls for action from Israeli authorities, who are now exerting pressure on Hamas and mediators to honor the terms of the release agreement. Israeli officials reaffirmed their commitment to continue with the broader agreement, but warned that the failure to meet the agreed terms could harm future releases.
Adding to the grief, the Bibas family expressed their devastation when they learned that Shiri Bibas and her children, who were abducted from their Nir Oz home on October 7, were also absent from the second release list. In a heartfelt message shared on Saturday, the Bibas family shared their anguish: “Even though we were prepared for it, we were hoping to see Shiri and the children on the list that was supposed to be the civilian list.” The family voiced concerns over their loved one’s safety and questioned why, despite grave fears for their lives, their relatives were not included among the civilians due to be returned.
The Bibas family’s message emphasized their belief that the public must continue to demand answers, adding, “Thank you, dear supporters, for not giving up, for continuing to pray, to hope and to demand answers.
The post Hostages Missing from Hamas’ Release List first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Naama Levi, and Daniela Gilboa Return to Israel After 477 Days of Captivity
A combination picture shows Israeli hostages Karina Ariev, Naama Levy, Liri Albag, and Daniela Gilboa, soldiers who were seized from their army base in southern Israel during the deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, in these undated handout pictures. Photo: Courtesy of Bring Them Home Now/Handout via REUTERS
i24 News – After 477 harrowing days in captivity, four young Israeli women—Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Naama Levi, and Daniela Gilboa—have finally returned home.
The release took place Saturday morning in Gaza’s Palestine Square, under a carefully staged scene orchestrated by Hamas.
The four women, who served in a military observation unit in Nahal Oz, were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Before their release, they were made to wear uniforms provided by Hamas and were paraded on a platform in front of a crowd of activists. Forced to smile and wave, the women endured the ordeal under the watchful eyes of Hamas fighters.
Once the formalities concluded, the women walked to waiting ICRC vehicles, accompanied by representatives of the organization. Upon reaching Israeli forces, IDF medical teams immediately conducted examinations. At the meeting point, the first female officers who greeted them informed the women that their families were watching live. Overcome with emotion, the former hostages smiled at the cameras, sending heartfelt gestures to their loved ones.
Footage later released by the IDF captured a poignant moment: the four women removing the uniforms given to them by Hamas and embracing Israeli officers. These emotional scenes underscored the end of a long and grueling chapter in their lives.
The women were transported to the Reim reception center, where their families eagerly awaited them. After 477 days of separation, the reunions were deeply moving, marking a moment of relief and joy.
However, the release was not without complications. A fifth military observer, Agam Berger, remains in captivity, and Hamas failed to uphold its agreement to release civilian hostage Arbel Yahud, who was originally included in the liberation group. The breach of terms has drawn widespread condemnation, intensifying efforts to secure the release of those who remain captive.
This momentous event brings a mix of celebration and determination, as Israel continues to work tirelessly for the freedom of all hostages still held in Gaza.
The post Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Naama Levi, and Daniela Gilboa Return to Israel After 477 Days of Captivity first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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