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JEWISH NATIONAL FUND-USA TRAVEL & TOURS

Volunteer in israel.

We Stand With Israel

TOUR ISRAEL WITH US IN 2024

Jewish National Fund-USA is currently running much-needed volunteer missions in Israel for variety of ages and groups, from teens to adults. JNF-USA Volunteer in Israel Missions are your opportunity to build Israel now and make a difference for the future.

Spend 4 meaningful days with us providing hands-on support to our beloved friends from communities across the Israel Envelope and the Galilee. When you help a community move back, watch a child walk into their school, dance with an IDF soldier, see the gratitude in a farmer’s eyes, you will never be the same. You will be part of history.  First there was Herzl. Then there was Ben-Gurion. Now, there’s you .  Make history. Volunteer in Israel. 

Volunteer in Israel With Us

“Our experience on the Jewish National Fund-USA volunteering mission was so meaningful. “ - Zachary Narrett. 

Read more about our mission participants’ experience here.

UPCOMING TOURS

Volunteer in israel: 4 day mission.

An exceptional chance to volunteer in Israel now.

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VOLUNTEERING DAY TRIPS

Volunteer for a day with Jewish National Fund-USA in Israel

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Join Jewish National Fund–USA’s holiday day trips.

LEADERSHIP MISSIONS

Exclusive experience for leaders and JNF-USA ambassadors.

• May 09, 2024 - May 16, 2024

SOLO TRAVELER MISSION (30S & 40S)

Experience, volunteer, and make a difference in Israel. Join other like-minded solo travelers in their 30s & 40s.

• June 30, 2024 - July 07, 2024

PARENT-TEEN VOLUNTEER IN ISRAEL MISSION

Bond with your teen on this meaningful experience helping the land and the people of Israel.

TEEN VOLUNTEER IN ISRAEL MISSION

An exceptional chance for high school students to volunteer in Israel now.

COLLEGE STUDENTS VOLUNTEERING TRIP - ALTERNATIVE BREAK

Volunteering opportunity for college students with JNF-USA's Alternative Break

EDUCATORS' MISSION

An International Educators’ Seminar in Israel powered by Keren Kayemet L'Israel

• July 09, 2024 - July 16, 2024

WOMEN FOR ISRAEL VOLUNTEER MISSION

Women's Mission - An exceptional chance to volunteer in Israel now.

PRESIDENT’S SOCIETY MISSION

Experience Israel like never before on a tour reserved for our members of President’s Society. New mission dates coming soon.

FAMILY TOURS

A meaningful family trip with Jewish National Fund-USA.

• December 22, 2024 - December 29, 2024

HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS FOR ISRAEL MISSION

One-of-a-kind opportunity exploring Israel’s healthcare system and innovative medical breakthroughs.

• February 16, 2025 - February 23, 2025

SUNSHINE TOURS

Specially designed tours of Israel for active seniors.

• May 04, 2025 - May 13, 2025

QUEEN OF SHEBA - WOMEN'S MISSION TO ISRAEL

Embark on a journey with fellow women supporting Israel. New mission dates coming soon.

SOUTHERN ROOTS TOURS

Travel to Israel with friends old and new from the South. New tour dates coming soon.

TASTE OF ISRAEL TOURS

Experience the rich flavors of Israel’s north through food, wine, and cooking. New tour dates coming soon.

INTERFAITH TOURS

Discover the diverse cultures, communities, and religions that were born in Israel and coexist today. New tour dates coming soon.

CONGREGATIONAL TOURS

Come home for a visit.

Join our weekly day tours once resumed. Volunteer day trips are currently running regularly.

Jewish National Fund-USA is a living, breathing organization and it's part of building the future of Israel. On every trip, they show me something I've never seen or heard of or shine a new light on a place I've been to and loved before. They have the connections to offer a perspective on Israel that most tourists never get to see. – Dr. Kenneth Fried

About Jewish National Fund-USA's Travel & Tours

Jewish National Fund-USA is currently running volunteer missions in Israel. Additional tours have been postponed to late 2024 and early 2025. We look forward to returning home; visiting our communities in the Negev and Galilee, meeting the special people that make Israel the incredible land it is, and taking a behind-the-scenes look of how vision comes to life with Jewish National Fund-USA's work on the ground. 

Discover the magnificence of southern Israel and the Negev, take in breathtaking views of the Galilee, experience the rich culture and multi-layered history of the old city of Jerusalem, visit the iconic neighborhoods of Tel Aviv, enjoy authentic cuisine, but most importantly, make memories that will last a lifetime. Start your adventure by exploring Israel’s iconic sites including the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv's sunny beaches, Masada's grand views, and more. From there, take the path less traveled to explore Israel’s north and south. Travel to southern Israel with us; get glimpses of blooming fields in the Negev desert, taste delicious local fruits and vegetables, and meet the farmers who are making innovative agri-tech advancements. Get to know the people who have made new lives all across the region, and see how we inspire the transformation of the sand dunes into vibrant communities. Northern Israel brings with it a change of scenery. Travel through the lush green mountains, experience local wineries, enjoy an authentic kibbutz experience, and connect with local artisans, businesses, and entrepreneurs who make the region into a thriving community. Join us on our exclusive, curated, high-end tours that will take you off the beaten path. Find the trip that's right for you. We've got your backstage pass to Israel.

Read about our travelers' experience  here.

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Israel Tours and Trips for Senior Citizens 2024/2025

Tailored to the unique needs of mature travelers above 65 years, our Israel tours for seniors provide a comfortable and supportive environment, ensuring a seamless journey. Immerse yourself in the rich history, vibrant culture, and breathtaking landscapes of Israel, as you embark on an itinerary carefully crafted to provide a perfect blend of relaxation, exploration, and cultural immersion. Engage in leisurely walks through ancient sites, indulge in culinary delights, and discover the fascinating stories behind each landmark with the guidance of knowledgeable experts. Our knowledgeable guides are mindful of the needs of senior tourists, providing customized attention, guaranteeing smooth logistics, and imparting enriching insights that will make your trip genuinely unique. Relax, and absorb the beauty of Israel's many landscapes, from tranquil coastlines to breathtaking valleys, as you savor the compelling destination's distinctive blend of history, spirituality, and friendly hospitality. Join us on a senior tour to Israel, where every detail has been meticulously planned to provide a unique and gratifying experience. Build a personalized itinerary for exclusive travel experience with customized trip to Israel . Or check out our senior tours for Israel below.

• Best Time to Visit Israel

163 senior tours in Israel

• Starts Tel Aviv, Israel
• Ends Jerusalem, Israel

Biblical Israel

• Trip customizable
• Best price guaranteed
• Tour Type Group Tour
• Activities City sightseeing & Cultural, religious and historic sites City sightseeing , Cultural, religious and historic sites & Art and architecture 'data-more-tripid='17955'>+1 more
• Accommodation Hotel
• Transport Boat
• Age Range 8-95 yrs
• Operated in English
• May 09 10+ seats left
• View More Jan 1, 2019 Jan 2, 2019 Jan 3, 2019

• Ends Tel Aviv, Israel

Heritage Of The Holy Land

• No booking fees
• Activities Art and architecture
• Transport Private Vehicle, Boat & Coach
• Age Range 10-99 yrs
• Brochure Price: US$ 2,286
• Special Deal (15%): - US$ 343
• Total Price from: US$ 1,943
• May 23 10+ seats left
• Jun 06 10+ seats left

Heritage Of The Holy Land And Jordan (multi Country)

• Accommodation Hotel & Resort
• Transport Jeep, Boat & Private Vehicle
• Brochure Price: US$ 3,451
• Special Deal (15%): - US$ 518
• Total Price from: US$ 2,933

Biblical Lands - 8 days

• Activities City sightseeing & Cultural, religious and historic sites City sightseeing , Cultural, religious and historic sites , Art and architecture & Museum and gallery visits 'data-more-tripid='15860'>+2 more
• Transport Coach & Private Vehicle
• Age Range 18-80 yrs
• Jul 15 Only 8 seats left
• Jul 22 Only 8 seats left

• Starts Jerusalem, Israel

Discover Israel & the Palestinian Territories

• Tour Type Small Group Tour
• Activities City sightseeing & Cultural, religious and historic sites City sightseeing , Cultural, religious and historic sites & Art and architecture 'data-more-tripid='3118'>+1 more
• Transport Private Vehicle, Train & Minibus
• Age Range 15-99 yrs
• Oct 19 Only 10 seats left
• Nov 09 10+ seats left

Classic Israel

• Activities City sightseeing & Cultural, religious and historic sites City sightseeing , Cultural, religious and historic sites , Museum and gallery visits & Art and architecture 'data-more-tripid='17953'>+2 more
• Transport Private Vehicle & Boat
• May 12 10+ seats left

Israel & the Palestinian Territories Real Food Adventure

• Activities Food tours
• Transport Private Vehicle
• Oct 16 10+ seats left
• Dec 11 10+ seats left

• Ends Bethlehem, Israel

Heritage & Holy Land - 8 days

• Activities City sightseeing & Cultural, religious and historic sites City sightseeing , Cultural, religious and historic sites , Art and architecture & Museum and gallery visits 'data-more-tripid='15968'>+2 more
• Transport Private Vehicle & Coach
• Jul 11 Only 8 seats left
• Aug 01 Only 8 seats left

Best of Israel

• Activities Cultural, religious and historic sites & Honeymoon
• Transport Coach & Boat
• Age Range 5-99 yrs
• Jan 02 10+ seats left
• Jan 16 10+ seats left

Jerusalem, the Dead Sea & Tel Aviv Experience 5D/4N

• Activities Cultural, religious and historic sites
• Accommodation Hostel
• Age Range 18-99 yrs
• May 03 10+ seats left
• May 04 10+ seats left

8 Days Highlights Of Israel

• Brochure Price: US$ 2,283
• Special Deal (15%): - US$ 342
• Total Price from: US$ 1,941
• May 26 10+ seats left
• Jun 09 10+ seats left

Classic Israel & the Palestinian Territories

• Activities City sightseeing & Cultural, religious and historic sites City sightseeing , Cultural, religious and historic sites , Art and architecture & Walking tours 'data-more-tripid='18180'>+2 more
• Transport Private Vehicle & 4WD Jeep
• Oct 17 10+ seats left
• Nov 28 10+ seats left

• Activities Art and architecture & Spiritual or religious tours
• Transport Minibus & Boat
• Brochure Price: US$ 2,369
• Special Deal (15%): - US$ 355
• Total Price from: US$ 2,014
• May 27 10+ seats left
• Jun 10 10+ seats left

Christian Israel Tour Package, 4 Days From Jerusalem

• Activities Sightseeing Tours & Explorer Sightseeing Tours , Explorer & Spiritual or religious tours 'data-more-tripid='38468'>+1 more
• Age Range 4-99 yrs

Chat with a local travel expert who can help design a custom-made trip to Israel, targeted senior travellers.

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Best tours for First time Jewish Israel seniors - Israel Forum

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We definitely want to see Jerusalem (old & New city, the wailing wall, Israel Museum , etc.) & Tel Aviv (Carmel Shuk,Yemenite Quarter, Neveh Tzedek, etc), and float in Dead Sea , and relax for a day in a spa/beach/pool setting.

Other things we'd like to see are Eilat , Masada, Ein Gedi, Bha’i Gardens in Haifa , a kibbutz, Druze village, Safed and possibly Petra, Jordan (which I've heard is beautiful -- but might be too much walking for us, I've heard).

It seems like we'd need about a 12-15 day tour for all the above, and would want to fly back and forth from NYC. It's our first time there, so we are a bit concerned about safety, which is why we prefer going with an established company that runs tours. Our budget is flexible -- don't want the fanciest trip, but nothing cheesy either. We value our comfort.

Can anyone recommend any good tour companies or tours that you think might fit our needs?

Many thanks...

There are many reasons one might prefer to use a group tour experience, but safety shouldn't be one of them. You will be just as safe if you plan a private touring experience, or even self-guiding, as you would be with a tour bus.

If a group Jewish heritage experience is of interest to you, consider using ARZA World. They have a 13-day program that should work for you.

Thank you all for your replies. I heard good things about Gate 1 before. Just not sure I'll be able to keep up with the seniors tour. I have arthritis and walk slowly.

Also looking into ARZA world. Many thanks.

Regarding Petra, if you cannot walk long distances up a low grade hill, this is not for you.

If you walk slowly and have difficulty keeping up then any group tour will be a problem unless it is geared specifically for people with mobility difficulties - otherwise the group tours set their own pace and just keep going - if you can't keep up you will either hold everyone back and cause a certain amount of resentment, be pushed to keep up or find that you must hang back and wait at the bus at any number of sites.

I really think you are best off with a self guided tour and some days with a private guide. As Oreet said, you are not going to be able to keep up with a group tour. They are not designed for those who have walking difficulty.

artistcleveland--start your own thread. You ARE being ignored on this one because your question is very different from that of the OP.

Except that I am older, the inquiry could have been written by me. May I have the name of the agency?

• Trip Report: Volunteering and More 21:45
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Best tours for First time Jewish Israel seniors - Israel Forum

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We definitely want to see Jerusalem (old & New city, the wailing wall, Israel Museum , etc.) & Tel Aviv (Carmel Shuk,Yemenite Quarter, Neveh Tzedek, etc), and float in Dead Sea , and relax for a day in a spa/beach/pool setting.

Other things we'd like to see are Eilat , Masada, Ein Gedi, Bha’i Gardens in Haifa , a kibbutz, Druze village, Safed and possibly Petra, Jordan (which I've heard is beautiful -- but might be too much walking for us, I've heard).

It seems like we'd need about a 12-15 day tour for all the above, and would want to fly back and forth from NYC. It's our first time there, so we are a bit concerned about safety, which is why we prefer going with an established company that runs tours. Our budget is flexible -- don't want the fanciest trip, but nothing cheesy either. We value our comfort.

Can anyone recommend any good tour companies or tours that you think might fit our needs?

Many thanks...

razelMiami--are you a travel agent??? There are loads of reviews for Gate1 all over this forum. ( and probably all over the internet)

This sounds like something we would like

This isn't Twitter. Please post some details about your interests, budget, physical limitations, group tour or self tour, etc, etc.

Florence, I think you should start your own thread , follow advice given at # 28 and in addition mention preferred month and number of days etc.

• Trip Report: Volunteering and More 9:45 pm
• Updated taxi option at Ben Gurion Airport 3:41 pm
• Is Jaffa safe for Orthodox Jewish tourists to visit? today
• Landing at 4am in TLV today
• Using the Gett App yesterday
• How is August or September??? Apr 26, 2024
• Happy Passover Apr 26, 2024
• Can you please recommend a Dead Sea hotel for a frum family? Apr 26, 2024
• Laundromat in Tel-Aviv Apr 26, 2024
• Travel Health Insurance in times of war Apr 22, 2024
• UK travel insurance policies and claims for a cancelled trip Apr 22, 2024
• public transit Ben Gurion to Beer Sheva on Saturday May 25 Apr 22, 2024
• Douglas's Trip Report: Jerusalem Wedding Visit, April 2024 Apr 20, 2024
• How safe is “the North” right now? Apr 19, 2024
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• Driving from Tel Aviv to Eilat 13 replies
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• Israel Tourism Consultants 161 replies
• Ashdod port to Jerusalem 113 replies
• Getting from Ben Gurion airport to....
• Border Crossing - Beit She'an ("Jordan River" / "Sheikh Hussein bridge")
• Rav Kav- ( details on how to ride and PAY for public transportation)
• Border Crossing - Allenby Bridge (King Hussein bridge)
• Private guides?
• Amman to Jerusalem/Tel Aviv/Nazareth and back
• Eilat - Driving to and visiting
• Detailed Report of Muslim Entering Israel
• Money exchange and ATMs and VAT refund
• Border Crossing - Eilat/Aqaba
• Visiting Petra from Israel
• Visiting the North
• Cruises: Shore-excursions from Ashdod and Haifa ports.
• Touring the Negev
• Visiting Bethlehem from Jerusalem
• Dead Sea region
• Public transportation information in Israel
• Escorted tours
• Can I visit the Temple Mount? Dome of the Rock?
• Border Crossing - Taba (Israel/Egypt near Eilat)
• Visas to Israel
• National and religious holidays, and the effect on travelers
• Things to do with children in Israel
• Off-the-beaten-track places to visit in Israel? ( multiple threads)
• Luggage storage locations across Israel
• Day Passes & Coupons to popular Israeli attractions
• Electrical outlets, converters, and plug adapters in Israel
• Where can I find good, on-line maps of the Old City of Jerusalem?
• Top Guide Books for Israel
• Handicapped tourists information
• Driving in Israel (with/without GPS)
• Gluten free Israel
• How do I pay for fuel with a credit card at the self-serve station in Israel?
• Restaurants open on Shabbat in Jerusalem
• Safety concerns in Israel
• Passover seder in Israel: Options
• Cell Phone Use in Israel -- collected threads
• The Machane Yehuda visitors guide thread
• Iphone/IPad Apps
• Summer Activities for kids (and more)
• Clothing suggestions
• Details on Crossing the Sheik Hussein Crossing. ( northern crossing to Israel
• Tipping in Israel
• Getting from the airport to Jerusalem by bus
• Restaurants in Israel with a view
• Tel Aviv markets
• Quality Christian and Jewish souvenirs
• What to see and do in Tel-Aviv
• Safety in travel to Israel during war in October 2023 (Non-political only!)

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Israel Tours for Solo / Single Travelers

220 israel tours for singles / solo travelers with 834 reviews.

• In-depth Cultural
• Christmas & New Year

Discover Israel

Excellent tour guides, transportation services, and hotel accommodations. We were able to visit several historical and significant sites, with enough time in the afternoon to roam around and explore the area. Highly recommended!

• Coach / Bus

Galilee, Golan, Caesarea and Nazareth 4 days

We had a fantastic tour to Galilee, Golan, Caesarea, and Nazareth, the guide Tomer was extraordinarily knowledgeable and answer any questions we had. We highly recommend him for your visit to Israel. The communication and the booking process with the booking-tours company were smooth, and all pickup was on time.

8 Days Highlights of Israel

Interesting and very informative.

Past to the Future - The Story of the Israeli State - 11 days

I thoroughly enjoyed the Past to the Future - The Story of the Israeli State tour with Consolidated Tour Operators, Boaz, our tour guide, had a deep understanding of the history of the area, which made the experience come alive. The way he presented the places he took us, and in the order he presented them, gave us a real appreciation of Israel and its place in history. His attention to detail, easy-going personality, and expertise gave us an on parallel tour! Using Consolidated Tour Operators for our days in Israel was a treat. Not having to deal with or wait for strangers in a larger group also made the experience more personal. Will definitely recommend Consolidated Tour Operators and Boaz to friends and associates who are planning a trip to Israel! Many thanks, Lisa

• 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

• Sightseeing

Jewish Israel Tour Package, 5 Days

overall the tour was good. the guides were very knowledgeable. Unfortunately my planned visit to the Golan heights was cancelled and I ended up visiting Jerusalem twice

Heritage & Holy Land - 8 days

The tour, Heritage and Holy Places was terrific!.We packed an enormous amount into the 8 days, and saw Christian, Jewish, Roman and Byzantine places of great interest. Also the borders of Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Our tour guide gave us history, commentary and much insight into the history and current situation in Israel, as well as the Abrahamic religions. The hotels were very comfortable and our other travellers became a close group who were lots of fun. My only problem was the weather - I would not recommend travelling in Israel in high summer when the temperature can reach 45C. Thank you for facilitating our tour. Trenna Bridge

The Story of the Israeli State - 10 Days

My husband and I had never been to Israel and booked this tour as a “bucket-list” event. Our tour guide, Efraim Native, was the best - he was a history professor, knew philosophy, religion, politics, economics, abd engineering - answering every question we had. He was friendly, helpful and made excellent food recommendations. Our tour covered Tel Aviv (our new favorite city), Haifa, the Golan (do not miss the Hula Nature Preserve), and Jerusalem (Old and New). We added the Masada/Dead Sea tour at the end. Finally, we chose the 5-Star hotel option and stayed in true luxurious accommodations). We will use Tour Radar and Click Tours again!

Biblical Lands 5 star - 8 days

Heritage of the Holy Land

Great trip. Wife is more, shall I say, more religious than I am, but, we were both totally inspired by this tour..

Jewish Israel Tour Package, 7 Days

Excellent Tour. The tour guides have managed the tour very well as per the plan. Hotel accommodation was also good. Great for those who are looking for a Jewish experience. Highly Recommend...

Israel - Amos' Tour

Heritage & Holy Land 5 star - 8 days

Jewish Israel Luxury Tour 10 days

We just came back from Israel I would say that we are all happy and satisfied with Booking Tours company. They gave us a very memorable trip and our tour guide Adi is very good explaining to us the history of all the places we have been. The company is very organized from booking our hotels and are easy to deal and communicate. My contact person is Vera Veinberg who is very good communicating with us, and she makes sure that everything will work fine. I would recommend Booking-tours, and we would use them again for a future trip to Israel.

Tailor-Made Private Israel Tour with Daily Departure

• Book With Flexibility This operator allows you to rebook your dates or tours with them for free, waiving change fees.

Classical Israel Tour Package, 7 Days

I was on a 7-day tour package with Bein Harim. This company really knows what they are doing. They have the resources to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible. The tours were awesome! I would tour with them again!

What people love about Israel Solo Tours

I had a wonderful time! Our tour guide Orna was very knowledgeable, caring and with very good sense of humor! The same thing I would also say about our bus driver Namir. We felt very safe and cared of.

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Outspoken jewish professor barred from columbia campus — but administration turns blind eye to even bigger tent city springing up.

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A Columbia University professor who has been a vocal critic of the administration’s response to the ongoing anti-Israel student protests was barred from campus Monday after he tried to lead a pro-Jewish rally at the Ivy League college.

Israel-born Shai Davidai, an assistant professor at Columbia Business School and an outspoken supporter of the Jewish state, was told that his ID had been “deactivated” — even as a massive new tent city sprang up on the Morningside Heights campus with some 200 protesters — all of whom would have had to use their Columbia IDs to get in. 

He said administrators told him they banned him from campus because they could not ensure his safety.

University administrators turned a blind eye to the new protest camp — days after calling the NYPD to break up a previous protest and haul away the protesters.

Protesters on and around campus have been filmed making actively pro-Hamas and antisemitic statements — including one alleged student who held a sign suggesting pro-Israel demonstrators should be the next target of Hamas terrorists.

A Jewish Columbia student filed an NYPD hate crime report Monday saying that he was accosted and hit in the head with rocks by pro-Palestinian protesters on campus after he arrived with Israeli flags on Saturday night.

Follow The Post’s coverage of the anti-Israel protests at Columbia University:

• Pro-terror radical launched 2-hour anti-Israel tirade at Columbia University event weeks before protests exploded: ‘Nothing wrong with being a Hamas fighter’
• Anti-Israel protesters urge others to break into ‘platoons’ as Columbia University extends deadline for them to leave
• House Speaker Mike Johnson demands ‘very weak, inept’ Columbia prez Minouche Shafik resign ahead of campus visit
• Rep. Elise Stefanik demands federal funds for Columbia University be revoked in wake of anti-Israel protests

On Monday, many of the demonstrators who arrived at campus with Davidai to show solidarity with Columbia’s Jewish community were also turned away at the gates of the Ivy Leave school — though some with active Columbia IDs were allowed in.

“They are not letting me on main campus,” Davidai told a crowd of pro-Israel rallies at the school’s gate.

The growing chaos at the university has only increased calls for university President Minouche Shafik to resign over her handling of the situation. 

Just a day after  House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik  demanded Shafik retire, the rest of New York’s Republican delegation signed a letter calling on the embattled school president to step down. 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has slammed the situation at the university following a meeting with Shafik, city hall and the NYPD. 

“ The recent harassment and rhetoric is vile and abhorrent,” Hochul said in a statement on X. “Every student deserves to be safe.” 

Davidai’s rejection from the campus of his own university prompted a crowd of pro-Israel protesters to shout, “Let him in!” and “Shame!”

“I have not just a civil right, a civil right as a Jewish person to be on campus, I have a right as a professor employed by the university to be on campus,” Davidai said. “They deactivated my card.”

“They are not letting me on main campus,” he told a crowd of pro-Israel rallies at the school’s gate.

Davidai noted the “irony” that his card still grants him access to the university’s Manhattanville campus farther uptown on West 130th Street, where he teaches at the business school. 

“I was just told by [administrators] that I am [to be] let on the campus of the business school where I’m teaching tomorrow,” he said.

“So they are willing to use Jewish brains, but they don’t want to let Jewish people in.”

Earlier today, @Columbia University refused to let me onto campus. Why? Because they cannot protect my safety as a Jewish professor. This is 1938. — Shai Davidai (@ShaiDavidai) April 22, 2024

Davidai, however, pointed out that the administration has continued to protect the safety of the anti-Israel protesters.

“We know whose safety they can ensure — for the past five days, they’ve been ensuring the safety of the students who are calling on Hamas, to target Jewish students. That’s the safety that they are ensuring,” he said. 

He encouraged other Israel supporters to exercise caution as they encounter the protests.

“I ask of you, if you have a Columbia ID, please go in, take videos — do not engage. If they don’t let you in, and then document the fact that they’re not letting other Jewish people into campus,” he added.

US Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fl.) slammed the university for barring Davidai from campus, comparing it to the Nazi’s antisemitic policies.

“ We’ve seen this before. When Jews were told not to go places, when people stood together barring them into buildings,” Moskowitz said during a news conference on campus Monday. 

“This is the tactics of the Nazis, where Jews were not safe to go places and we’re told, ‘Please don’t come here because we can’t keep you safe,’” he added. “That is the behavior that we’re seeing on campus.” 

Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) described the protest as “unacceptable,” but stopped short of calling for Shafiks’ resignation, claiming the president still has time to take the right action. 

“Both elected representatives and members of the administration’s of academic institutions need to combat what is this dramatic rise of antisemitism and a feeling of insecurity from Jews on campus,” Goldman said. 

Antisemitism controversy at Columbia University: Key events

• Columbia University president Minouche Shafik  was accused of “gross negligence” while testifying before Congress. Shafik refused to say if the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is antisemitic.
• More than 100 Columbia professors signed a letter defending students who support the “military action” by Hamas.
• Antisemitic posters depicting Israel as a skunk appeared on campus — which experts liken to a propaganda poster used by the Nazis in World War II.
• Radical anti-Israel activists Charlotte Kates and Khaled Barakat told Columbia students a two-hour tirade , “There is nothing wrong with being a fighter in Hamas” in a seminar called “Resistance 101″ — weeks before the campus exploded in pro-Palestinian protests.
• Columbia students erected 60 tents on campus to demand that the university divest from Israel.
• More than 100 other protesters were arrested after Shafik announced the campus’s closure.
• Israel-born professor Shai Davidai was barred from campus after he attempted to lead a pro-Jewish rally.
• Every New York House GOP lawmaker demanded that Shafik resign immediately .
• Columbia University’s Jewish Alumni Association also called for Shafik’s resignation .

Fellow Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), echoed Goldman’s words but said it is now up to the university to prove itself by quelling the demonstration and standing by its Jewish students and staff. 

“I think the pressure is on for the university president to step up and act. I think there has to be accountability,” Gottheimer said. “We’ve seen good steps forward, but the bottom line is we’re gonna be watching every single day.” 

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Davidai’s ban from the main campus comes as  in-person classes at the prestigious Ivy League university were canceled Monday  ahead of the start of Passover as anti-Israel protests continue to roil on at the college. 

Mike Gerber, the NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters, told reporters Monday morning that because Columbia is a private property, their is a limit on what police can do unless there is an imminent threat to safety.  

“Absent from ongoing crime, we can not just go onto Columbia campus as we see fit,” Gerber said. “It is up to the university to decide whether or not they want us on campus. 

“As a general matter, and this goes back many years, Columbia does not want NYPD on campus,” he added.  

Gerber, however, said that the NYPD is aware of the ongoing situation at the campus and that officers would respond if violence were to break out.  

NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tarik Sheppard added that there have been “no credible threats” as of yet coming from the protest. 

Mayor Eric Adams condemned the protests on Sunday following video of pro-Hamas chanting, assuring residents that the NYPD will investigate all incidents of antisemitism happening on campus. 

“I am horrified and disgusted with the antisemitism being spewed at and around the Columbia University campus — like the example of a young woman holding a sign with an arrow pointing to Jewish students stating ‘Al-Qasam’s Next Targets,’ or another where a woman is literally yelling ‘We are Hamas,’ or another where groups of students are chanting ‘We don’t want no Zionists here’ — and I condemn this hate speech in the strongest of terms,” Adams said in a statement.  

“Supporting a terrorist organization that aims to kill Jews is sickening and despicable.”

Shafik, who has  vowed to crack down  on antisemitism, told students in an email that was also shared to the Ivy League college’s website that they “need a reset” as the heated demonstrations enter a sixth day.

“I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus. Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm,” Shafik wrote. 

“Students across an array of communities have conveyed fears for their safety and we have announced additional actions we are taking to address security concerns.”

Those fears, expressed by many Jewish students, were also addressed on Sunday by a prominent rabbi at the school, who  urged Columbia and Barnard students  to go home — and stay there until conflicts on campus dissipate.

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What would Trump’s Israel-Gaza policy be if he were re-elected?

The ex-president unambiguously favored Israel while in office but recent statements have been inconsistent and evasive

At a windy rally in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, earlier this month, Donald Trump began his hour-long address by sending prayers and support to Israel as it withstood Iran’s aerial assault.

“They’re under attack right now,” the former president and presumptive Republican nominee said. “That’s because we show great weakness.”

Trump, who often describes himself as the “ best friend that Israel has ever had ”, blamed Tehran’s bombardment – and the entire bloody crisis – on Joe Biden, claiming it “would not have happened” if he had been president.

Yet moments later, he appeared to agree with his supporters when they began chanting “Genocide Joe” – a term more commonly invoked by activists protesting against Biden’s abiding support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians and pushed the territory to the brink of famine .

“They’re not wrong,” the former president said, as he stepped away from the lectern and let them chant. (His campaign did not respond to a request for clarification on the remark.)

More than six months into the ruinous Middle East conflict, amid fears of a wider regional war, Trump has offered plenty of criticism – of Biden, his successor and all-but-certain rival for the White House, and of Benjamin Netanyahu , the Israeli prime minister – but few details on what he might have done differently.

Trump’s relative silence leaves major questions about how he would act if he were to inherit the conflict in January.

His campaign did not directly respond to a list of policy questions, among them whether he supports a ceasefire, how he would handle hostage negotiations, whether there are any circumstances under which he would consider conditioning aid to Israel and whether he supports a two-state solution, an idea some of his former advisers categorically reject.

Yet in his muddled commentary, observers see the same motivations that shaped his first-term foreign policy: personal grievance and political opportunism, as discontent with Biden’s management of the conflict threatens to hurt the president’s re-election bid.

Trump v Netanyahu

When Trump was president, he forged a close, mutually beneficial relationship with Netanyahu. But his feelings for the prime minister reportedly soured after Netanyahu congratulated Biden on his 2020 election victory, which Trump baselessly claims to have won.

Days after the deadly Hamas attack on 7 October, Trump criticized Netanyahu and Israeli intelligence for failing to anticipate and stop the invasion. He also referred to Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon that Israel has been clashing with on its northern border, as “very smart”.

The former president’s rebuke of Netanyahu , as his country reeled from what the prime minister said was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, drew unusually sharp denunciations from fellow Republicans, including many of his challengers for the party’s presidential nomination.

Trump quickly retreated, writing on his social media platform that he stood with Netanyahu and Israel. Hours later, he posted again , declaring in a video: “I kept Israel safe, remember that. I kept Israel safe. Nobody else will, nobody else can.”

Since then, as public perceptions of the war shift amid a soaring Palestinian death toll and a deepening humanitarian crisis, Trump has surprised some of his allies on the right by exhorting Israel to “ finish up your war ”.

“Israel has to be very careful, because you’re losing a lot of the world, you’re losing a lot of support,” Trump said in a March interview with the conservative Israeli publication Israel Hayom . “You have to finish up, you have to get the job done. And you have to get on to peace.”

Asked in a later interview with the conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt whether his comments had been misconstrued, Trump again implored Israel to “get it over with”, warning that the country was “absolutely losing the PR war”. Biden has similarly expressed concern that Israel’s tactics in Gaza are hurting its international standing.

“Let’s get back to peace and stop killing people,” Trump told Hewitt.

Calling for peace, but little regard for Palestinians

Trump has not outlined how he believes peace might be achieved or what he envisions for the region after the conflict ends. When pressed on his position, Trump mostly repeats his claim that the war wouldn’t have happened if he were in power.

“I just think Trump is delusional on this point,” John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, said in a recent appearance on CNN. “It’s a point that nobody can refute or confirm one way or the other. He doesn’t have any idea what to do in the Middle East in this situation.”

Playing critic, rather than prospective commander-in-chief, has seemingly worked in Trump’s favor: voters gave him far better marks than Biden on his handling of foreign conflicts as president, according to an April New York Times and Siena College survey .

And by mostly remaining on the sidelines, some analysts say, he is better positioned to exploit the deep division in the Democratic coalition over Biden’s handling of the Israel-Gaza war, one of the president’s biggest perceived vulnerabilities before the election.

Aaron David Miller, who served for two decades as a state department analyst, negotiator and adviser on Middle East issues for both Democratic and Republican administrations, said a future Trump administration was unlikely to show much sympathy to the Palestinian cause.

“He could care less, frankly, about how the Israelis are treating the Palestinians,” said Miller, now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

“Forget any kind of rehabilitation or reconstruction for Gaza,” he added, unless rebuilding the territory was a condition for achieving “some historic something” in the region, such as a normalization of ties between Israeli and Saudi Arabia.

In statements since the war began, Trump has promised, if elected, to cut off all US aid to Palestinians and urged other nations to follow suit if he returns to the Oval Office.

The former president also pledged to bar refugees from Gaza under an expansion of his first-term travel ban on Muslim-majority countries; expel immigrants who sympathize with Hamas ; revoke the visas of foreign students deemed “anti-American” or “antisemitic”; and impose “strong ideological screening” to keep out foreign nationals who “want to abolish Israel”.

Trump’s pitch to Jewish voters

In a statement, Trump’s campaign accused Biden and Democrats of supporting Israel’s enemies and said leftwing criticism of Netanyahu’s government was pushing American Jews into the former president’s camp.

“Jewish Americans are realizing that the Democrat party has turned into a full-blown anti-Israel, antisemitic, pro-terrorist cabal, and that’s why more and more Jewish Americans are supporting President Trump,” said a campaign spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt.

But Trump’s outreach to Jewish voters, a wide majority of whom tend to support Democrats, has faced accusations of antisemitism.

Earlier this month, Trump told reporters in Georgia that “any Jewish person that votes for a Democrat or votes for Biden should have their head examined”. In a March interview with his former aide Sebastian Gorka, Trump claimed that any Jewish American who backs the Democrats “hates their religion” and “everything about Israel”.

The comments, which echoed previous statements he has made, were widely condemned for invoking an antisemitic trope that Jewish citizens hold “dual loyalty” to both the US and Israel.

But Trump has also honed a sharp-edged pitch aimed at evangelical Christians, a crucial part of his base whose fierce support of Israel has helped shape Republican foreign policy.

Casting himself as the great protector of the world’s only Jewish state, Trump vowed in an October speech to “ defend western civilization from the barbarians and savages and fascists that you see now trying to do harm to our beautiful Israel”.

Lessons from Trump’s presidency

Though Trump has sent mixed signals about his views of the war, his policies as president unambiguously favored Israel.

During his presidency, Trump moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, in a reversal of longstanding US policy. He also slashed funding to the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees and closed the Palestinians’ diplomatic mission in Washington.

In 2018, he withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal , a move cheered by Republicans and Netanyahu. The following year, the Trump administration again broke with decades of precedent to declare that the US no longer considered Israeli settlements in the West Bank a violation of international law. The Biden administration reversed this policy in February.

Late in his presidency, Trump unveiled a Middle East “peace” plan that granted most of Israel’s long-held demands, ensuring its swift rejection by Palestinian leaders.

The former president’s biggest accomplishment in the region was the so-called Abraham accords, clinched in 2020, which normalized diplomatic relations among Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. In remarks to Jewish donors and activists, Trump claimed he had been on the verge of bringing Iran into the deal, even though he spent much of his presidency antagonizing Tehran , most notably by ordering the assassination of Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

While Israel and Iran appear to have pulled back from the brink of a spiraling regional war, tensions in the region remain high. Meanwhile, Trump has been isolated in a New York courtroom, where the former president faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal trials.

Israel and a second Trump term

Trump has yet to provide any substantive details on how he views the role of the US in resolving the current conflict, and his campaign did not respond to questions about his postwar plans for Gaza or whether he supported a two-state solution.

But recent comments from Trump’s former ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner , both of whom helped set his first-term Middle East policy, reflect Netanyahu’s rightwing, nationalist vision for the region.

Friedman recently unveiled a proposal for Israel to annex the West Bank based on the country’s biblical claims to the occupied land. In an interview last month, Trump did not say whether he supported the plan but said he planned to meet with Friedman to discuss it. (His campaign declined to say whether the meeting had taken place.)

In a February interview with the Middle East Initiative at Harvard University , Kushner, a real estate scion married to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, said Gaza’s “waterfront property” could be “very valuable”. He also suggested Israel could move civilians out of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering, to Israel’s Negev desert while Israeli forces “finish the job” there. Asked about fears that Palestinians who flee Gaza may not be allowed to return, he said: “I am not sure there is much left of Gaza at this point.”

At another point, Kushner described proposals to give the Palestinians their own state as a “super bad idea” that “would essentially be rewarding an act of terror”.

Miller recalled a 2017 conversation with Kushner in which Kushner outlined three key pillars of Trump’s Middle East policy that Miller believes would extend to a second term.

They were, according to Miller, to make it “impossible” for an Israeli prime minister to say no to Trump, develop “strategic partnerships” with the Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia; and to create a “whole new paradigm for how to deal with the Palestinian issue”.

If Trump returns to the White House next year, Miller expects little change in his approach: “I think that his foreign policy will continue to be chaotic, transactional and opportunistic.”

Biden v Trump: What’s in store for the US and the world?

On Thursday 2 May, 3-4.15pm ET, join Tania Branigan, David Smith, Mehdi Hasan and Tara Setmayer for the inside track on the people, the ideas and the events that might shape the US election campaign. Book tickets here or at theguardian.live

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London police to meet with Jewish leaders as protests spark concerns about the safety of Jews

FILE - Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley speaks in London, Nov. 9, 2023. London’s police commissioner will meet with senior members of the Jewish community on Monday April 22, 2024 after the force bungled its apology for suggesting an “openly Jewish’’ man’s presence along the route of a pro-Palestinian march risked provoking the demonstrators. (James Manning/PA via AP, File)

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LONDON (AP) — London’s police commissioner will meet with senior members of the Jewish community on Monday after the force bungled its apology for suggesting an “openly Jewish’’ man’s presence along the route of a pro-Palestinian march risked provoking the demonstrators.

Amid calls for his resignation, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley is also expected to meet with London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Home Secretary James Cleverly, who together are responsible for law and order in the city.

“We remain focused on doing everything possible to ensure Jewish Londoners feel safe in this city,” the Metropolitan Police Service said in a statement Sunday. “We know recent events and some of our recent actions have contributed to concerns felt by many.”

The meeting comes as London police struggle to manage tensions sparked by the Israel-Hamas war , with some Jewish residents saying they feel threatened by repeated pro-Palestinian marches through the streets of the U.K. capital.

The marches have been largely peaceful. However, many demonstrators accuse Israel of genocide and a small number have shown support for Hamas, the group that led the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and which has been banned by the U.K. government as a terrorist organization.

The Metropolitan Police force has deployed thousands of officers during each of the dozen major marches as it seeks to protect the rights of the pro-Palestinian protesters and prevent clashes with counterdemonstrators and Jewish residents.

In addition to meeting with leaders of the Jewish community, senior police officers wrote to the man at the center of the latest controversy, offering to meet with him to apologize and discuss what more could be done to “ensure Jewish Londoners feel safe.″

Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, was wearing a traditional Jewish skullcap when he was stopped by police while trying to cross a street in central London as demonstrators filed past on April 13.

One officer told Falter he was worried that the man’s “quite openly Jewish” appearance could provoke a reaction from the protesters, according to video posted on social media by the campaign group. A second officer then told Falter he would be arrested if he refused to be escorted out of the area, because he would be “causing a breach of the peace.”

Metropolitan Police initially apologized for the language the officer used in describing Falter’s appearance, but said counterdemonstrators had to be aware “that their presence is provocative.”

The department later deleted that apology from its social media accounts and issued a second statement.

“In an effort to make a point about the policing of protest we caused further offense,” the force said on Friday. “This was never our intention. ... Being Jewish is not a provocation. Jewish Londoners must be able to feel safe in the city.”

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April 22, 2024 - Protests at Columbia and other schools escalate

Matt Egan, Alicia Wallace and Chandelis Duster

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology says it is 'determining next steps'

From CNN's Jillian Sykes

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology issued a statement Monday regarding tents on its campus.

"MIT officials are aware of the tents, and are determining next steps with a focus on ensuring campus is physically safe and fully functioning. MIT Police were on scene throughout the night and will continue to be present."

Robert Kraft says he is willing to support The Kraft Center at the university

From CNN's Chandelis Duster

Robert Kraft, billionaire owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots and backer of Columbia University, on Monday said he is still willing to support The Kraft Center at the school that supports Jewish students, calling it “a haven of safety.”

Kraft, an alumnus of the university, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “The Lead” that he loves the school and “we have to have accountability.”

“There are both professors and students within the university who say things that I think cross the line and there should be accountability. I believe in free speech. Say whatever you want but pay the consequences. And don't have your face covered. I don't think that should be allowed,” he said.  

“I can’t believe in New York City at Columbia University Jewish students are afraid to go to classes in the United States of America in 2024. It’s amazing to me and horrible,” Kraft also said.

Asked where he drew the line at Columbia University regarding both pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protests and what he finds objectionable, he said “there is a lack of education on the situation” happening in the Middle East. 

“I’m concerned about America and what’s going on in this country. And to keep it open and free for all people of all backgrounds to do as they wish,” he said.

Asked if he has confidence in Columbia University’s president, Minouche Shafik, he said he thinks she is “very well intentioned” and said “we have to look at what goes on with faculty.”

Columbia faculty stage walk-out in solidarity with students

From CNN's John Towfighi

Hundreds of people gathered on Low Plaza Monday afternoon as Columbia University faculty delivered speeches in support of the student protesters who were suspended and arrested Thursday.

Faculty who spoke denounced university president Minouche Shafik’s decision to authorize the New York Police Department to remove protesters from campus and demanded all legal and disciplinary charges be dismissed and expunged from students' records.

Faculty held signs that read, “Hands off our students,” and “End student suspensions now.” Some faculty donned their academic regalia and wore sashes that read, “We support students.”

Speeches were met with cheers and claps from the crowd, as well as chants for Shafik to resign.

Christopher Brown, a professor of history, said, “I’m here because I am so concerned about what is happening at this university, with where we are now and with where we are going. Thursday April 18, 2024, will be remembered as a shameful day in Columbia history.”

“The president’s decision to send riot police to pick up peaceful protesters on our campus was unprecedented, unjustified, disproportionate, divisive and dangerous,” Brown said.

US Rep. Ilhan Omar, whose daughter Isra Hirsi was among the protesters arrested Thursday , posted on X that while she’s glad to see faculty demonstrate in solidarity with students, she wants the protests to focus on Gaza.

"On Thursday, Columbia arrested and suspended its students who were peacefully protesting and have now ignited a nationwide Gaza Solidarity movement. This is more than the students hoped for and I am glad to see this type of solidarity. But to be clear, this about the genocide in Gaza and the attention has to remain on that," Omar wrote.

NYC Mayor condemns "vile" and "disgusting" rhetoric at college campuses

From CNN's Alicia Wallace

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday condemned “vile” and “disgusting” rhetoric being used at campuses such as Columbia University, where students are holding protests over the Israel-Hamas War.

Adams told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he supports First Amendment rights but said law enforcement officials are on the ready if any of that speech goes too far or if there’s an imminent threat to people or property.

"That is one of the fundamental rights we hold dear as Americans: The right to protest," Adams said on CNN's "The Lead." "What we have seen playing out on many of our college campuses, and particularly Columbia University, is hate. We’re seeing vile language being used."

Adams noted that he can feel the "duality of this moment" and how the events of the past six months are weighing heavily on Jewish and Palestinian New Yorkers. He added that the police escorts of Jewish students through campus were reminiscent of the Army soldiers who escorted nine Black students into a high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, nearly 67 years ago.

"There is no place for hate in this city," he said.

New York Police Department officers have a “large presence” surrounding Columbia but have remained off the campus grounds at the request of the school’s administration, NYPD deputy commissioners said earlier on Monday.

Adams told Tapper that the NYPD’s commissioner of legal matter is monitoring the protests for any speech that violates law. Additionally, police officers will take "appropriate action" and go on private property if there’s an "imminent threat."

Protesters gather at The New School in New York City

From CNN's Elisabeth Buchwald

Protesters have gathered at The New School, located near the Chelsea area of the New York City borough of Manhattan.

An encampment of four tents was set up in the lobby of the building that houses auditoriums, a cafeteria and a library. Roughly 75 students, and other people who have The New School IDs, gathered inside the building.

"Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not stop, we will not rest," was repeatedly chanted. 

Outside the building, protesters from the school, as well as outsiders, joined in chants from the sidewalk.

There is a stark difference between the inside and outside of Columbia University's campus

From CNN's Ramishah Maruf

There’s a stark difference between the inside of Columbia University's campus and the outside, where there are protesters gathered on the street. 

The encampment is only open to those affiliated with campus. Only those with a Columbia ID can enter the campus gates. Inside the encampment, programs include teach-ins, poetry readings and film screenings. Some students are quietly finishing assignments, while others are painting posters.

Elsewhere around campus, students are eating and completing assignments. Many students take graduation pictures at this time, and some are in graduation gowns walking down Broadway. Risers are set up for an upcoming commencement ceremony.

Other students are holding large American flags underneath Butler Library.

But the students can still hear the tension that is taking place yards away at the university gates. There is a gathering of pro-Palestinian protesters, who in the early afternoon were chanting “I believe that we will win” and “Long Live the Intifada.” There was a smaller group of pro-Israeli protesters, who chanted back “Down with Hamas” and “Victory to Israel.” A line of New York Police officers were monitoring the street.

What it's like inside the Columbia University encampment

The inside of the encampment is quiet – most of the noise comes from protestors outside the gates of Columbia University's campus, who are chanting “I believe that we will win” and “Long live the Intifada."

It was a sunny day on campus, and in one corner, students were painting posters. One person strummed a stringed instrument, and other students are reading books or on their laptops finishing assignments. Others have donated provisions, ranging from a table of snacks to hygiene products. There was also a pile of blankets.

“We’ve just been trying to keep students mobilized and keep pushing for divestment,” Dalia, a first-year student at Columbia College, told CNN. “We are a very mobilized student body and a very unified student body. Hundreds of people have been in and out of the encampment.”

CNN agreed not to publish her surname due to safety concerns.

She said the students at the campus “refuse to be complicit in the genocide, the apartheid, and the occupation of Palestine.”

There are strict community guidelines for the encampment. One rule says not to share names or details of anyone met in camp, and asking for permission before photographing or taking video.

The encampment is filled with dozens and dozens of tents, from students to neighboring Barnard College staff. Today’s encampment program included an Earth Day performance, poetry reading and a Dabka lesson, a traditional dance from the Arab region. Prior program events included dance performances from different cultures.

Democratic House members tour Columbia campus

Democratic Reps. Jared Moskowitz of Florida, Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Dan Goldman of New York and Kathy Manning of North Carolina, who are all Jewish, spoke at a news conference Monday after touring Columbia University’s campus. 

"We saw it firsthand as we walked past the encampments on the university's main lawn full of protesters spewing incendiary antisemitic hate and vitriol. Many aren't even Columbia students I've been told. Their campaign of intimidation is sickening and shocking and as the White House said yesterday, ‘echoes the rhetoric of Hamas terrorists,'" Gottheimer said. 

He also criticized Columbia University leadership, saying, “toothless combinations from administrators aren't going to stop the anarchy we’re seeing.”

“The only way to do it is with deeds, not words,” Gottheimer said. “Colleges have a legal obligation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to provide students, including Jews and Muslims, a school environment free from discrimination and harassment based on race color or national origin. Yet just feet from here, Jewish students are being verbally and even physically assaulted.”

Gottheimer continued, “To the administrators of Columbia and beyond, here are our demands: Stop the double talk and start acting now. Discipline harassers, restore civility on this campus, encourage peaceful constructive dialogue.”

He also gave a message for students: “While the leadership of Columbia may be failing you, we will not. We will do everything in our power to keep you safe and do everything in Washington we can to make sure that you feel welcome at this university or any university across the United States of America. And Columbia University, if they don't follow through, will pay the price.”

Goldman said he was "encouraged" the Columbia University president issued guidelines about additional security, calling it a "very important first step" and criticized what is happening on campus.

"That is unacceptable for a university, that is unacceptable for an academic institution. There is no question that everyone has a First Amendment right to speak out in this country and that must be preserved," Goldman said. "But a university and all universities have an obligation to maintain the safety and security of their students from all backgrounds."

Manning said university leadership should "do more to keep Jewish students safe and to re-establish an atmosphere in which all students can learn, study and participate safely in campus life."

"Columbia must also move forward with its promised efforts to teach its students and its faculty about the nature and history and dangers of antisemitism. It must ensure that Columbia professors are not encouraging and spreading antisemitism," Manning said.

"I call on the US Department of Education and the US Department of Justice to work with the White House to ensure that all universities take steps necessary to keep Jewish students and faculty safe. I also call on Congress to enact legislation to implement the steps outlined in the US national strategy to counter antisemitism, to address the scourge of antisemitism which is a threat to the foundations of our democracy," she said.

President Joe Biden condemns antisemitism on campus

From CNN's Kevin Liptak

President Joe Biden decried antisemitic protests around college campuses Monday and said his administration was working to combat anti-Jewish hatred.

"I condemn the antisemitic protests, that’s why I’ve set up a program to deal with that," Biden said when questioned about the events at Columbia University in New York.

"I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians," he said, without expanding upon what he meant.

Biden was speaking after an Earth Day event in Prince William Forest Park in Triangle, Virginia.

When asked whether Columbia's president should resign, Biden appeared to mishear: "I didn’t know that. I'll have to find out more," he said.

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