Israeli universities promise to make it easier to admit Jewish students who feel threatened in the United States

Despite the expiration this Friday of the second ultimatum issued by the president of Columbia University to pro-Palestinian activists who pitched tents at the site, nothing has been done and the camp remains in place. As Jewish students at this university and all those in the country seized by pro-Palestinian protesters increasingly fear for their safety, Israeli universities say they are committed to facilitating the admission of students and faculty who would like to complete their studies in Israel. In an unusual statement, the presidents of Israel’s research universities say they are “deeply concerned about the manifestations of serious violence, anti-Semitism and hostility toward Israel that are sweeping the campuses of many American universities with the support of Palestinian organizations and certain terrorist organizations.

“There is no doubt that the presidents of American universities are trying to fight this phenomenon, but this fight may require tools that exceed the resources available to the administration. In this context, we are committed to helping Jewish and Israeli scholars and students who want to be admitted to universities in Israel, to find a safe academic home there.”

Israeli Shai Davidai, an assistant professor at Columbia who was denied admission to the university in recent days, attacked the mayor of New York, accusing him of not doing enough against the pro-Palestinian organization behind the campus tent. The mayor quickly responded to the professor on social media, noting that Eric Adams had condemned the campus protests back on October 10.

The Deputy Chief of the New York Police responded to Shai Davidai’s accusations. “The NYPD opposes hate, racism, harassment and violence in all its forms. But we also respect the law. Campuses are private places where the NYPD may not take any enforcement action without university approval,” he wrote on X .

Several arrests took place Wednesday night at the University of Austin in Texas, where a large pro-Palestinian demonstration is also taking place. According to the police, more than half of those arrested are not affiliated with the institution, which supports claims that these gatherings are organized by organizations outside the university. Hundreds of arrests also took place at the University of Connecticut, and at university campuses in Atlanta and Boston. As for California State Humboldt Polytechnic University, it has been negotiating since Monday with students who decided to barricade themselves in the building in support of Gaza.