(NewsNation) — A leader of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University says anyone can be among them if they follow “community guidelines.”
But Khymani James’ words, and the actions of fellow protesters, said something very different Sunday night, according to NewsNation’s “On Balance.”
“People can have entrance to our encampment as long as they’re respecting community guidelines,” James told reporters Wednesday, “the most important one being that we do not allow for any discrimination or bigotry of any kind.”
That was not the case Sunday night, when three Jewish students quietly walked through the crowd on the Columbia campus.
“We have Zionists who have entered the camp,” James announced, before instructing followers to form a human chain. “Walk and take a step forward so that we can start to push them out of the camp,” he continued.
“Within three minutes, someone starts screaming, ‘Mic check, mic check. Zionists has entered our camp,’” student Jessica Schwalb told NewsNation.
“We’re surrounded by probably 200 people in the dark. They’re all linked together … and we’re just looking at each other,” she added.
The incident appeared to end when the Jewish students left. While James is among those attempting to negotiate a resolution on the demonstration with Columbia, rhetoric from both sides is heating up.
“This is clear antisemitism,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis told “On Balance.” She joined House Speaker Mike Johnson at Columbia on Wednesday and met with Jewish students.
“Not only have they been bullied and threatened, some of them have been assaulted, spat on,” Mallioitakis said. “They’ve walked around campus and seen swastikas painted.”
The New York Republican also had harsh words for Columbia University President Minouche Shafik.
“The president of the university clearly has no plan to end it. Instead, she’s just hoping that they leave. She has shown that she has completely lost control of the campus,” Malliaotakis said. Columbia announced that classes will be a hybrid of in-person and remote for the rest of this semester.
Meanwhile, a businessman and publisher of The Arab American News Osama Siblani blames Israel for the unrest.
“Israel has committed mass murder,” Siblani said. “How many people we should let Israel kill before we start calling it a genocide?”
Siblani also defended the chants of “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as a slogan that long pre-dates the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
“These are not organized chants,” he said. “These are chants we have heard for … decades. The situation did not start (on) October 7. It started in 1948,” when Israel was declared a sovereign nation.
The “river to the sea” chant has very different meanings to both sides. Palestinians say it’s a call for peace and equality after 75 years of Israeli occupation and rule. Jews consider it a call to destroy Israel.
