President Biden warns of 'alarming surge of antisemitism' after Columbia University protests

WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden called on Americans to speak out against the "alarming surge of antisemitism" in the U.S. following pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University that prompted the school to cancel all in-person classes Monday out of safety concerns.

Biden's comments are some of his most pointed to date targeting protests that have erupted at college campuses across the country in the months since the Israel-Hamas War began last October.

"Silence is complicity," Biden said in a written statement Sunday evening. "Even in recent days, we’ve seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous – and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country."

Protests last week at Columbia raised concerns of antisemitism after Jewish students said they were subjected to acts of hate, intimidation and harassment.

Biden reiterated his position on the protests following an Earth Day event Monday afternoon in Triangle, Virginia: "I condemn the antisemitic protests. That’s why I have set up a program to deal with that," he told reporters, referring to his administration's plan to counter antisemitism nationally.

"I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians," Biden said.

Out of safety concerns, Columbia is holding Monday's classes online instead of in person. Rabbi Elie Buechler, director of the Orthodox Union-Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus program at Columbia and the all-women’s Barnard, recommended Sunday that Jewish students stay away from the university until safety conditions improve.

The protests came to a head last week when more than 100 student protesters were arrested and suspended after  Columbia University President Minouche Shafik called in the New York Police Department to clear an encampment on the campus' south lawn.

"While every American has the right to peaceful protest, calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly Antisemitic, unconscionable, and dangerous – they have absolutely no place on any college campus, or anywhere in the United States of America," Andrew Bates, White House deputy press secretary, said in statement.

"And echoing the rhetoric of terrorist organizations, especially in the wake of the worst massacre committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, is despicable. We condemn these statements in the strongest terms," Bates said.

Biden has faced increasing pressure from young voters and the left flank of his party over his unwavering support of Israel's war in Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses have divided Democrats.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. while speaking at Biden's Earth Day event, applauded "the power of young people shaping the country," pointing to the "peaceful, student-led protests on campuses like Columbia, Yale, Berkeley, and many others."

Biden, at the beginning of his remarks, recognized Ocasio-Cortez's efforts on climate. "I learned a long time ago: Listen to that lady," Biden said, then added: "We're going to talk more about another part of the world, too, real quickly."

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., an outspoken supporter of Israel, condemned the reports of antisemitism at Columbia. "Add some tiki torches and it’s Charlottesville for these Jewish students," Fetterman said on X, formerly Twitter, referring to the 2017 white supremacists protests in Charlottesville, Va. that turned violent. Fetterman called on Shafik to "do your job or resign so Columbia can find someone who will."

In his statement, Biden said his administration will continue to "speak out and aggressively and implement" the White House's National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, which was released last May and billed as "the most ambitious and comprehensive U.S. government-led effort to fight antisemitism."

Biden also wished Jews around the world a Happy Passover, which begins Monday might.

"This year, let us remember the central Passover theme that even in the darkest of times, the promise of God’s protection will give us strength to find hope, resilience, and redemption," Biden said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden condemns 'alarming surge of antisemitism' amid Columbia chaos