NYC students expose 'extremist' professors fostering campus antisemitism at major universities
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EXCLUSIVE: Several students have come forward to highlight the “extremist” views held by certain university professors, which they believe contribute to an antisemitic atmosphere on campus. According to these students, such views also seem to endorse anti-Israel protests and propagate a biased narrative that they argue should not be advocated at academic institutions.

In an exclusive discussion with Fox News Digital, Jewish students from New York University, Columbia University, Barnard College, and Baruch College spoke out about the “disturbing” comments made by professors at some of New York City’s most prestigious universities, as well as other top schools across the United States.

“Many of my peers have shared some very unsettling remarks made by professors during class,” said TJ Katz from Columbia. “These comments have come up not only in courses focused on Middle Eastern politics but also in classes that should remain unrelated to the region’s conflicts.”

Mera Skoblo from NYU added, “We’ve witnessed professors shouting at students and failing to support them in times of need.”

Columbia University and Columbia student TJ Katz.

Jewish students from several leading New York City universities conveyed to Fox News Digital that some professors are actively promoting extremist, antisemitic, and anti-Israel rhetoric in their classrooms, thus fostering a hostile environment for Jewish students.

“Just the presence of these professors on campus, you know, a lot of them on their offices have signs saying things like, hands off our students, and they have free Palestine signs on their doorways,” Eliana Birman of Barnard explained.

“I had professors that were antisemitic,” Aidan Herlinger of Baruch told Fox. “I know students that have had professors that are antisemitic, we are put in positions where we can’t do anything about it, because it could cost us our grade.”

“We need to extricate extremists from the classroom, do departmental audits,” Shoshana Aufzien of Barnard added.

Anti-Israel protesters gather near Washington Square Park in New York City

Anti-Israel protesters wave Palestinian flags in Washington Square Park in New York City on Friday, May 3, 2024. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)

Columbia University has been one of the most notorious campuses that has faced anti-Israel riots and demonstrations. Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, hundreds of students and non-students have been arrested as a result of riots.

NYU faced similar, though less intense, protests on its NYC campus, including a Dec. 12, 2024, demonstration outside the university’s library where protesters called for an “intifada revolution” saying that “Tel Aviv is stolen land.”

Skoblo outlined her fears as a Jewish student on campus, saying that “a lot of us are scared.”

A mass of tents on the Columbia University campus

A pro-Gaza ceasefire tent encampment at Columbia University on April 28, 2024. (Getty Images)

“The past two years on college campuses across New York City have been difficult for Jewish students,” Skoblo told Fox. “Some of us hide our identities. We’ve been screamed at. We’ve been blocked out of our own library during finals week.”

“How are we supposed to study when we hear chanting that shouts towards our destruction, makes us feel unsafe and unheard,” Skoblo added.

When asked if faculty influenced or pressured students to adopt a specific stance in the Middle Eastern conflict, Aiden Herlinger from Baruch College said, “I think the professors definitely play a role.”

While the students explained that antisemitism has existed on college campuses for some time, students noted that the recent rise in tensions and anti-Israel rhetoric that came after Oct. 7, 2023, could be attributable to professors indoctrinating or influencing students to participate in demonstrations, some of which turned violent and led to expulsions, suspensions and arrests.

NYU-protest-anti-Israel

Police arrested more than 100 students at New York University who were protesting in support of students at Columbia University and to oppose Israel’s attacks on Gaza. (Fatih Aktas/Anadolu via Getty Images)

As for the consequences these professors may face for being accused by their own students of indoctrinating, Herlinger said there will likely be none.

“[Professors are] not going to face any consequences, especially in a school like Baruch that’s a public school, and it’s funded by the New York State government, and New York City government,” Herlinger added.

“These are just professors that are not going to face consequences.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the schools for comment.

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