Columbia student's lawyer 'There are straight-out calls for the genocide of Jews'
The attorney of an anonymous Jewish Columbia student who is suing the university for allegedly not providing “a safe educational environment” says his client is having to deal with calls for genocide while attending school.
“There are straight out calls for the genocide of Jews. This has happened because of complacency and appeasement by our academic institutions,” Jay Edelson, who is representing the Columbia student, told NewNation’s Leland Vittert on “On Balance.”
Edelson said it's "fine" to debate how Israel should have responded to the Oct. 7 Hamas, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and other aspects of the war, but “what's going on is something different.”
The student argues in the lawsuit that since the pro-Palestinian encampment went up two weeks ago, Jewish students have felt they are at an increased risk of harm or harassment.
“The encampment has been the center of round-the-clock harassment of Jewish students, who have been punched, shoved, spat upon, blocked from attending classes and moving freely about campus, and targeted by pro-terrorist hate speech –– both verbal and in written form on massive banners and signs –– with statements such as: 'Death to the Jews'; 'Long live Hamas'; 'Globalize the Intifada,'" the lawsuit said.
The university has allowed classes to go hybrid for the rest of the school year due to the unrest on campus, but that was an unacceptable resolution, according to the lawsuit.
“By implementing a hybrid learning approach, the university fails to address the underlying safety concerns while creating a stark divide in the educational experiences of Jewish and non-Jewish students,” it said.
Edelson said in the interview it is “insane” Columbia is negotiating with the student protesters and that this lawsuit fights back for Jewish students.
“The difference is, this isn't the 1930s. We're not in Germany. We're going to stand up and we're going to fight back. We filed this class action lawsuit, and we're not going to sit by the sidelines. This is not going to happen again,” he said.