The same kind of donor revolt over campus antisemitism that roiled Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania is getting real at Columbia.
New England Patriots CEO Robert Kraft said Monday he is “not comfortable supporting the university” until Columbia takes action to protect the safety of Jewish students and faculty amid rampant anti-Israel protests on campus.
Mr. Kraft, a Columbia grad who attended on a full academic scholarship and served as class president, said that the school he once loved “is no longer an institution I recognize.”
“I am deeply saddened at the virulent hate that continues to grow on campus and throughout our country,” said Mr. Kraft in a statement posted online by the Foundation Combating Antisemitism, which he founded, as part of its #StandUptoJewishHate campaign.
“I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff and I am not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken,” he said. “It is my hope that Columbia and its leadership will stand up to this hate by ending these protests immediately and will work to earn back the respect and trust of the many of us who have lost faith in the institution.”
The billionaire Kraft, who is Jewish and a staunch supporter of Israel, has donated millions to Columbia. The university’s Kraft Center for Jewish Life and the Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium are named after him.
In late October, hedge-fund billionaire and Columbia alumnus Leon Cooperman announced that he would suspend his giving amid the pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israeli civilians.
Thank you Robert Kraft for standing up to Jew-hatred. Your voice on this is so important! #🟦 #StandUpToJewishHate @FCASorg pic.twitter.com/wz9xILgEAI
— Jason D. Greenblatt (@GreenblattJD) April 22, 2024
The announcement by Mr. Kraft came after a tumultuous week that saw Columbia President Minouche Shafik grilled during a House hearing over rising campus antisemitism, followed by a surge in anti-Israel protests on campus.
Columbia brought in the New York Police Department to clear the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment,” a tent city on the Morningside Heights grounds in Manhattan. Officers on Thursday arrested 108 students, according to the Columbia Spectator.
Stop Antisemitism applauded Mr. Kraft’s decision, saying on X: “FANTASTIC! We urge EVERY donor, big or small, to do the same.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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