A prominent rabbi at Columbia University issued an eerie warning to the school’s Jewish students on Sunday, telling them to “return home as soon as possible” and stay there until pro-Palestine demonstrations simmer down. In a text blasted out on WhatsApp to students, obtained by the New York Post, Rabbi Elie Buechler wrote that the university was a site of “anarchy” and “extreme antisemitism” that’s made it too dangerous for Jewish students to attend. “It deeply pains me to say that I would strongly recommend you return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved,” Buechler reportedly texted. The rabbi added that the NYPD and university officials have shown they “cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety,” despite those same entities combining Friday to controversially shut down an on-campus tent city that was erected to protest Israel’s actions in the Gaza strip. While the temporary encampment was put to an end—and some students were suspended, like Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) daughter—clashes between pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protesters reportedly persisted throughout the weekend. No significant violence has been reported in those clashes.
