Latest news with #antiSemitism
Al Jazeera
10 minutes ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
What's in the $200m deal Trump has struck with Columbia University?
New York City-based Columbia University has agreed to pay $221m to settle claims by US President Donald Trump's administration that it failed to curb anti-Semitism on campus, in exchange for the reinstatement of billions of dollars in federal funding. The deal, agreed on Wednesday, comes after sweeping university campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza during the spring and summer of 2024 and this year were criticised as veering into anti-Semitism. In February, the government cut $400m in federal research funding for Columbia in a bid to force its administrators to respond to alleged harassment of Jewish students and faculty. The unprecedented agreement marks a victory in Trump's efforts to exert greater control over higher education, including campus activism, and could offer a framework for future deals with other universities. What's in the deal Trump has struck with Columbia? Columbia has agreed to pay $200m to the government over three years, as well as making a separate $21m payment to settle claims by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In exchange, the 'vast majority' of the frozen $400m in federal funding will be reinstated, the university said. Columbia will also regain access to billions of dollars' worth of current and future grants under the deal. Columbia is required, within 30 days, to appoint an administrator who will report to the university president and will be responsible for overseeing the deal's compliance. This includes verifying that the institution ends programmes that promote 'unlawful efforts to achieve race-based outcomes, quotas [and] diversity targets'. Additionally, Columbia must review its Middle East curriculum to make sure it is 'comprehensive and balanced' and appoint new faculty staff to its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies. Columbia said the agreement establishes Bart Schwartz, of the compliance firm Guidepost Solutions, as an independent monitor who will report to the government on its progress every six months. The university will be expected to compile a report for the monitor to ensure its programmes 'do not promote unlawful DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] goals'. Why have they come to this agreement? Columbia said the agreement formalises already-announced reforms to address harassment of Jewish students and staff, including the hiring of additional public safety personnel, changes to disciplinary processes, and efforts to foster 'an inclusive and respectful learning environment'. The dispute between Columbia and the Trump administration began after Jewish students and faculty complained of harassment on campus by pro-Palestine demonstrators, while pro-Palestinian advocates accused critics of often wrongly conflating opposition to Israel with the hatred of Jews. Columbia's acting president, Claire Shipman, said the agreement marked 'an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty'. 'The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track. Importantly, it safeguards our independence, a critical condition for academic excellence and scholarly exploration, work that is vital to the public interest,' she added. Trump hailed the settlement as 'historic' in a post on his Truth Social platform. 'Numerous other Higher Education Institutions that have hurt so many, and been so unfair and unjust, and have wrongly spent federal money, much of it from our government, are upcoming,' he wrote. How have students and activists reacted? Student activist group Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) slammed the settlement as 'a bribe'. 'Imagine selling your students out just so you can pay Trump $221 million dollars and keep funding genocide,' the group wrote on X. It added that Columbia's disciplinary action against students, including suspensions and expulsions, this week was a punishment that 'hugely' exceeded the precedent for non-Palestine-related demonstrations. Non-governmental organisation Palestine Legal accused Columbia of 'weaponising claims of antisemitism to punish those calling for freedom for Palestinians'. 'It is clear that Columbia's desire to create a community 'where all feel welcome' doesn't extend to students who call for an end to Israel's genocide,' the group posted on X. Hasan Piker, a left-wing activist, political commentator and a critic of Trump, said the US president was 'underwater on everything and Columbia is still caving to Trump on everything', adding 'it seems like some of these institutions were looking for the pretext to go right'. What steps has Columbia already taken to pacify the Trump administration? In March, Columbia agreed to a list of demands laid down by Trump in return for negotiations to reinstate its $400m federal funding, which he had revoked a month before, citing 'a failure to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment'. Among other concessions, the university agreed to ban face mask coverings during protests, as well as to install 36 campus police officers with special powers to arrest students. Earlier this month, Columbia adopted a controversial definition of anti-Semitism drafted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which has been criticised for what some say is conflating criticism of the state of Israel and Zionism with anti-Semitism. Critics have warned that the definition could be used to stifle dissent and curb academic freedom. In a letter sent to the United Nations in 2023, 60 human and civil rights organisations said the definition should not be used. 'The IHRA definition has often been used to wrongly label criticism of Israel as antisemitic, and thus chill and sometimes suppress, non-violent protest, activism and speech critical of Israel and/or Zionism, including in the US and Europe,' they wrote. On Tuesday, Columbia also announced it would suspend, expel or revoke degrees for nearly 80 students who participated in a Butler Library demonstration on its campus on May 7, 2025 and a 'Revolt for Rafah' encampment on May 31, 2024 during the university's annual alumni weekend. During protests, students demanded that the university's $14.8bn endowment stop investing in weapons makers and other companies that support Israel. Protest organiser and former student Mahmoud Khalil, 29, was the first person to be detained during the Trump administration's push to deport pro-Palestinian activists who are not US citizens. The school also said it would no longer engage with pro-Palestinian group CUAD. Which other universities has Trump set his sights on, and why? The Trump administration is focusing attention on 10 universities that it deems noteworthy in its campaign to root out anti-Semitism. These are Columbia; George Washington University; Harvard; Johns Hopkins University; New York University; Northwestern; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of Minnesota; and the University of Southern California. Columbia University was the first college to see its funding slashed, but several Ivy League schools have been subjected to or threatened with funding cuts since Trump took office in January 2024. More than $2bn in total was frozen for Cornell, Northwestern, Brown and Princeton universities. In April, the administration also threatened to freeze $510m in grants to Brown University over alleged violations 'relating to antisemitic harassment and discrimination'. Harvard University was the first – and has so far been the only – major higher education institution to defy Trump's demands and fight back in federal court. This week, it argued in federal court that the Trump administration had illegally cut $2.6bn in funding in what were politically motivated attempts to reshape the institution. Are deals with other universities expected as well? Some universities are also believed to be in talks with the Trump administration, so more deals could be forthcoming. In particular, US news outlets have reported that officials from the Trump administration and Harvard are continuing negotiations, despite the court case brought by Harvard. In June, Trump posted on social media that 'if a Settlement is made on the basis that is currently being discussed, it will be 'mindbogglingly' HISTORIC, and very good for our Country'.
Daily Mail
42 minutes ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Dozens of Jewish children are removed from flight for being 'unruly' with summer camp teacher arrested - as airline denies anti-semitism claims
The expulsion of dozens of teenage passengers from a jet in Spain amid reports they were endangering the safety of the flight has sparked a row, with the carrier coming under fire for alleged anti-Semitism. Some 44 French-Jewish students aged between 10 and 15 and several adults were escorted off Vueling flight V8166 as it waited on the tarmac at Valencia airport yesterday ahead of its return to Paris. Footage shared to social media appeared to show one adult member of the group being detained by Spanish civil guard officers in the walkway shortly after she was removed from the jet. It was later revealed that the passengers were members of the Kineret Club, a Jewish summer camp group, and were returning to France after a week-long excursion in Spain. A statement released by the club alleged that the captain of the flight ordered the removal of the group 'without a valid explanation', adding: 'The use of a few words in Hebrew was clearly enough to trigger an extremely serious, collective, humiliating, and discriminatory measure. 'No other circumstance could explain the treatment inflicted on this group of children.' The statement, signed by the club's lawyer Julie Jacob, went on to say it would launch a formal complaint and legal action, claiming that the passengers 'were seated, respecting the rules and the staff... they did not pose any disturbance to public order or flight safety'. This triggered outcry in Israel, with Minister of Diaspora Amichai Chikli accusing Vueling and Spanish law enforcement of antisemitism, saying the kids were removed after 'singing Hebrew songs on the plane' and accusing Vueling staff of declaring Israel a 'terrorist state', without providing evidence. In response, a Vueling spokesperson said the passengers were removed after the minors repeatedly tampered with the plane's emergency equipment and interrupted the crew's safety demonstration. 'A group of passengers engaged in highly disruptive behaviour and adopted a very confrontational attitude, putting at risk the safe conduct of the flight. 'We categorically deny any suggestion that our crew's behaviour was related to the religion of the passengers involved.' 'This group mishandled emergency equipment and actively disrupted the mandatory safety demonstration, repeatedly ignoring instructions from cabin crew. 'Despite multiple warnings, this inappropriate behaviour persisted, which forced the crew to activate established security protocols,' the statement read, adding that Spain's civil guard took the decision to remove the passengers after being notified by the captain. 'We categorically deny any suggestion that our crew's decision related to the religion of the passengers involved. This decision was taken solely to ensure the safety of all passengers,' it said. Spain's Civil Guard confirmed all the passengers removed from the plane were French nationals. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the agents involved in the removal operation and the arrest of one member of the party were not aware of the group's religious affiliation. The woman arrested following her removal from the aircraft was said to be one of the directors of the club, according to Israeli media, but that has not been confirmed. Vueling shared a lengthy statement rejecting allegations of anti-Semitism Club Kineret alleged in its statement that it had collected written statements from other passengers on the plane 'confirming that the children did not pose a threat to public order or flight safety'. It also said that the group was expelled from the flight 'without care, escort, accommodation or food'. The Civil Guard said 23 minors and two adults from the group boarded a flight belonging to another airline, while the rest spent Wednesday night at a hotel. A spokesperson said arrangements were being made for them to leave Valencia later on Thursday. The Federation for Jewish Communities of Spain today expressed concern about the incident, calling on Vueling to provide documentary evidence of what happened on the plane. 'The various accounts circulating on social media and in the media to which we have had access do not clarify the cause of the incident,' the organisation said.
The National
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Columbia University reaches $200 million settlement with US federal government
Columbia University has agreed to pay the US government $200 million in a settlement over what the Trump administration called a wave of anti-Semitism on campus and a 'violation of federal law'. The embattled university has faced pressure from the administration over protests at its New York campus in 2023, at the start of Israel's war in Gaza, and 2024. An encampment on the university's main lawn for almost two weeks drew international attention. Columbia will pay the settlement over three years. In exchange, the university said in a statement, the federal government will unlock 'billions in current and future grants'. It was one of the first universities targeted by the administration over alleged anti-Semitism on campus amid protests against the Israel-Gaza war. In March, the Trump administration froze funding to several high-profile universities. Columbia said in its statement that the settlement codifies a set of reforms it announced in March, including a review of several of its Middle East studies programmes and identification of students who participate in protests on campus. Only one month after taking office for his second term as president, Donald Trump led a charge against Columbia, and eventually several other Ivy League and top-tier American universities, to block government grants on the pretext that it was in breach of laws against discrimination applicable to universities that receive federal funding. Mr Trump called the settlement a 'penalty', on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, and said the school had been 'violating federal law'. He also said Columbia will pay 'over $20 million to their Jewish employees who were unlawfully targeted and harassed'. Columbia does not admit to wrongdoing, but 'the institution's leaders have recognised, repeatedly, that Jewish students and faculty have experienced painful, unacceptable incidents, and that reform was and is needed', the university said in its statement. Last week, Columbia announced it will adopt a controversial definition of anti-Semitism set by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance that has also been adopted by Harvard and NYU. The 'working definition' is accompanied by various examples of anti-Semitism, including 'applying double standards' to the conduct of the state of Israel or 'claiming that the existence of a state of Israel is a racist endeavour'. Student protesters and members of the Arab and Muslim communities on campus have alleged discrimination, harassment and doxxing by the university or its affiliates based on their political views and personal backgrounds. This week, the Columbia Palestine Solidarity Coalition, a collective of student groups engaged in pro-Palestine actions, filed a lawsuit against the university alleging a violation of due process and 'overstepping their jurisdiction to censor pro-Palestinian speech'. The university said in its statement that the agreement with the federal government 'preserves Columbia's autonomy and authority'. Its response to the threats from the Trump administration over several months has drawn a backlash and claims of capitulation. Acting president Claire Shipman, the third head of the university since 2023, said in a message to the Columbia community on Wednesday that the lack of federal funding to the school 'would jeopardise [its] status as a world-leading research institution'. 'Following the law, attempting to resolve a complaint, is not capitulation,' Shipman said in a video statement released by the university in June. She had said Columbia would move to restore its government funding 'if possible'. By contrast, fellow Ivy League university Harvard took the US government to court in proceedings that began this week. On Wednesday, the State Department launched an investigation into whether Harvard should remain eligible to sponsor international student visas. 'Visa sponsorship is a privilege, and sponsors whose conduct tarnishes our nation's interests will lose that privilege,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X.
Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Kneecap banned by Hungary ahead of planned festival performance
Hungarian authorities have banned Irish rap group Kneecap from entering the country to perform at the Sziget Festival. They accused the band of using anti-Semitic hate speech and praising the Hamas militant group , a government spokesperson said on Thursday. Belfast-based Kneecap, who regularly display pro-Palestinian messages during their gigs, have caused controversy elsewhere in recent months, including at Britain's Glastonbury Festival, where frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – known as Mo Chara – accused Israel of committing war crimes. 'Hungary's government has moved to ban Kneecap from entering the country and performing at Sziget ... citing antisemitic hate speech and open praise for Hamas and Hezbollah as justification,' government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs wrote in a post on X. READ MORE Mr Kovacs later posted the official letters from immigration authorities banning the band for three years, claiming that their entry would 'seriously threaten national security'. In May, Mo Chara was charged with a terrorism offence in Britain for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed Hizbullah. He denies the offence. Last week, UK police said the group would face no further action following their performance at Glastonbury last month. The trio led Glastonbury crowds in chants of 'f**k Keir Starmer ', in reference to the British prime minister, during their set at the festival. Representatives of Kneecap did not immediately reply to requests for comment. The band has said previously that its members do not support Hamas or Hizbullah, and that it condemns 'all attacks on civilians, always'. Hungary's government had already asked festival organisers to drop Kneecap from the line-up at the week-long event, which draws several hundred thousand music lovers to an island in the River Danube each year. More than 150 artists and cultural figures, including Academy Award-winning director Laszlo Nemes Jeles, have also signed a petition protesting against Kneecap's participation. Sziget organisers, who said they had not been notified of the government's decision, have resisted the calls to scrap Kneecap's planned performance on August 11th. 'Our festival remains true to what we have consistently achieved over the past 30 years: there is no place for hatred, incitement, prejudice, or any form of racism or anti-Semitism,' they said in a statement last week. Sziget's other performers this year include Post Malone, Shawn Mendes and Charli XCX. – Reuters
Al Jazeera
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Columbia University to pay $200m to settle anti-Semitism claims
Columbia University, one of the top educational institutes in the United States, has agreed to pay $221m to settle claims by US President Donald Trump's administration that it failed to police anti-Semitism on campus. Under the agreement announced on Wednesday, Columbia will see the 'vast majority' of $400m in federal grants frozen by the Trump administration reinstated, New York-based university said. Columbia will also regain access to billions of dollars in current and future grants under the deal, the university said. The university said the agreement formalised reforms announced in March to address harassment against Jews, including the hiring of more public safety personnel, changes to disciplinary processes, and efforts to foster 'an inclusive and respectful learning environment.' The agreement also commits Columbia to maintaining merit-based admissions and ending programs that promote 'unlawful efforts to achieve race-based outcomes, quotas, diversity targets.' Claire Shipman, Columbia's acting president, said that while the settlement was 'substantial', the university could not continue with a situation that would 'jeopardize our status as a world-leading research institution.' 'Furthermore, as I have discussed on many occasions with our community, we carefully explored all options open to us,' Shipman said in a statement. Under the terms of the agreement, $200m will be paid to the federal government over three years, in addition to a $21m payment to settle claims by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Shipman said Columbia did not accept the Trump administration's findings that it had violated civil rights law by turning a blind eye to the harassment of Jews, but acknowledged the 'very serious and painful challenges our institution has faced with antisemitism.' 'We know there is still more to do,' she said. The settlement marks a victory in Trump's efforts to exert greater control over third-level education, including campus activism in support of Palestine and other causes. Trump hailed the settlement as 'historic' in a post on his Truth Social platform. 'Numerous other Higher Education Institutions that have hurt so many, and been so unfair and unjust, and have wrongly spent federal money, much of it from our government, are upcoming,' Trump wrote. Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a student activist group, slammed the settlement as an effective bribe. 'Imagine selling your students out just so you can pay Trump $221 million dollars and keep funding genocide,' the group said on X. Columbia was among dozens of US universities that were roiled by protests against Israel's war in Gaza throughout the spring and summer of 2024. Many Jewish students and faculty complained that the campus demonstrations veered into anti-Semitism, while pro-Palestinian advocates have accused critics of often wrongly conflating opposition to Israel with the hatred of Jews. On Tuesday, Columbia University Judicial Board's announced that it had finalised disciplinary proceedings against students who took part in protest at the university's main library in May or joined the 'Revolt for Rafah' encampment last year. Columbia University Apartheid Divest said nearly 80 students had been expelled or suspended for between one and three years for joining the protests, sanctions which it said 'hugely exceed' the precedent for non-Palestine-related demonstrations.
