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Columbia professor Jack Halberstam blames the University for ‘Circus’ on campus
Columbia professor Jack Halberstam weighs in on rising tensions on campus… after pro-Palestinian protesters occupied an Ivy League school building.
TMZ.com
On Tuesday we had the gender studies and English professor on “TMZ Live,” and he defended the takeover of Hamilton Hall on Monday night… because student protesters have occupied buildings in the past – including Hamilton Hall – to draw attention to injustices related with South African apartheid and the Vietnam War, for example.
Professor Halberstam also shed light on how the conflict between pro-Palestinian protesters and pro-Israeli protesters has been growing for months… with the university reportedly doing little to help students on either side.
He added… “There have been pro-Palestinian students who have been deceived… so these students believe the university is not that interested in their safety. And the university continues to increase the possibility of accusations against them.”
Recall that more than 100 students were arrested two weeks ago after the university allowed police to clear a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. This led to demonstrations on college campuses …resulting in more than 1,000 arrests in 10 days.
As for the widespread reports of anti-Semitic chants and threats against Jewish students… Professor Halberstam says the pro-Palestinian protesters are not against Israel’s existence and are only questioning the country’s relationship with Palestine.
He also emphasizes that there is just as much Islamophobic hatred expressed on campus as anti-Semitism.
The professor claims that concerns about the safety of Jewish students are prioritized over the discomfort of Muslim students. He blames the media, Columbia administrators and the Republican Party for turning the campus into a “circus.”
