Columbia University on Tuesday announced it will redefine antisemitism and implement several other policy changes in response to the Trump administration’s crackdown on college campuses.
The Ivy League university said it will adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which effectively classifies criticisms of the State of Israel as antisemitic speech. Several sources reported that Columbia is nearing a deal with the Trump administration after months of negotiations following the school’s violent pro-Palestine protests in 2023.
The new guidelines for classifying acts as antisemitism include “Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews” such as suggesting “Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions” and “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination,” which also includes linking Israel to a “racist endeavor,” according to the IHRA. Denying the Holocaust or any aspects of the event, including accusing Jews or Israel of exaggerating any part of it, is also classified as antisemitic.
“Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel,” “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” and “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel,” are all also off limits under the new guidelines.
Columbia and the Education Department did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
“Our work toward an agreement with the federal government has put a harsh spotlight on many of the difficult issues regarding discrimination and harassment we’ve seen on our campuses,” Columbia’s message to the community reads. “There is no place for intimidation, hateful language, or targeting of Jews or Israelis at Columbia, and we have zero tolerance for this behavior.”
Additional policies adopted by Columbia include hiring coordinators to ensure the university complies with civil rights law and expanding its required training on antisemitism for students and staff. The university will send out regular community messages making clear its “Zero Tolerance for Antisemitism and Hate.”
Columbia also said it will not accept any meeting or negotiate with anti-Israel groups, a move that the university’s Barnard College already agreed to in early July to settle a lawsuit.
“In a recent discussion, a faculty member and I agreed that antisemitism at this institution has existed, perhaps less overtly, for a long while, and the work of dismantling it, especially through education and understanding, will take time,” the statement concluded. “It will likely require more reform.”
Negotiations between Columbia and the Trump administration have been ongoing since March, when the administration announced it was revoking $400 million from the school due to its failure to respond to countless anti-Israel incidents on campus. Protests at Columbia culminated in several arrests and included the overtaking of a campus building, during which a university employee was allegedly held hostage. Many students were not punished until over a year later.
University administrators were even accused of fanning the flames when private messages surfaced revealing they said they were “inspired by the students” and were “hoping we can get some amazing wins for them.
The school has since promised compliance with the administration’s demands, though the Department of Education suggested the school should still lose its accreditation.
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