In a WhatsApp message sent to hundreds of students before the start of Passover, Rabbi Elie Buechler, the director of OU-LJIC at Columbia/Barnard, urged Jewish students to leave campus "as soon as possible" due to the ongoing anti-Israel agitators' "encampment" and concerns over their safety. The situation escalated when participants in the protest were caught on camera expressing support for terrorism and advocating violence towards Jewish students.

Rabbi Buechler expressed deep concern in his message, stating, "What we are witnessing in and around campus is terrible and tragic." He acknowledged that the university's security measures, along with the New York Police Department (NYPD), could not guarantee the safety of Jewish students amidst the extreme anti-Semitism and anarchy prevailing at Columbia University.

House GOP Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik from New York demanded Columbia University President, Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik, to resign immediately, claiming that the university has lost control of its campus and put Jewish students' safety at risk. Stefanik criticized the university's failure to enforce its own campus rules and protect Jewish students, questioning the credibility of Columbia's leadership.

Despite allowing the NYPD onto campus after her recent testimony before Congress regarding the lack of consequences for anti-Semitism, Dr. Shafik released more than 100 people who were arrested and suspended from the university on Thursday. The anti-Israel encampment remains on the locked campus, with police officers observing from across the gates.

Videos circulating online reveal that the protests go beyond mere support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement or pleas for Palestinian rights. Participants in the encampment described it as a "training ground" for "fighters" and praised the Oct. 7 attacks carried out by Hamas militants, where numerous Jews were killed and hostages were taken. Chants calling for violence and expressing support for Hamas and rocket attacks on Tel Aviv were also recorded.

Demonstrators targeted Jewish students, with some holding signs indicating potential targets for future attacks. They also shouted derogatory remarks, telling Jewish students to "go back to Europe" and accusing them of colonization. These incidents have raised concerns over the safety and well-being of Jewish students on campus.

Prominent conservative commentator Ben Shapiro denounced the protests, noting the universities' history of silencing conservative voices while allowing radical leftists to disrupt campus functioning. Shapiro argued that Columbia University has no obligation to tolerate individuals who support terrorism and harass students. He referred to an ongoing lawsuit alleging physical assault, threats, and intimidation against Jewish and Israeli students at Columbia University.

Shai Davidai, a Jewish professor at Columbia, called for the intervention of the National Guard if the NYPD fails to address the situation. He emphasized that the safety of Jewish students must be ensured, as this is a civil rights issue.

During a recent congressional hearing, House Republicans grilled Dr. Shafik about the consequences faced by professors who celebrated the Oct. 7 attacks. While the university president vowed that one professor, Mohamed Abdou, would never work at Columbia again, there were unclear statements regarding the actions taken against other professors involved.

These demonstrations at Columbia University have ignited debates about the limits of free speech on campus, concerns over the safety of students, and the responsibility of universities to maintain an inclusive and secure environment. Efforts to address these issues remain ongoing as various stakeholders continue to voice their concerns and demands for action.