New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft disavowed his alma mater Columbia University over the continuing pro-Palestinian protests occurring on campus, claiming he’s lost faith in the school in a Monday tweet.
“The school I love so much – the one that welcomed me and provided me with so much opportunity – is no longer an institution I recognize,” Kraft wrote in a statement sent out from the Stand Up To Jewish Hate Twitter account. “I am deeply saddened at the virulent hate that continues to grow on campus and throughout our country. 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.”
A statement from @FCASorg Founder Robert Kraft. pic.twitter.com/6fmTGFx06e
— Stand Up to Jewish Hate #🟦 (@StandUp2JewHate) April 22, 2024
“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,” Kraft, who founded the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, continued.
“It is my hope that in this difficult time, the Kraft Center at Columbia will serve as a source of security and safety for all Jewish students and faculty on campus who want to gather peacefully to practice their religion, to be together, and to be welcomed,” Kraft concluded. (RELATED: ‘Canary In The Coal Mine’: CNN Host Slams ‘Dangerous’ Anti-Israel Protests On College Campus)
Columbia has seen a rash of emphatic pro-Palestinian protests continue for a sixth day on Monday, despite school President Minouche Shafik’s decision to call the police on protesters Thursday.
The protests have grown in size and intensity as the “decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days,” Shafik said in a Monday statement. The school decided to make all Monday classes virtual, according to the statement.
“Antisemitic language, like any other language that is used to hurt and frighten people, is unacceptable and appropriate action will be taken,” she also said in the statement.
Shafik’s handling of the protests prompted New York Republicans, led by Rep. Elise Stefanik, to call for her resignation on Monday.
NY Republicans in Congress, led by @RepStefanik, pen a letter to the president of @Columbia Univ, calling on her to resign.
“The ongoing situation that has unfolded is a direct symptom of your continued lax enforcement of policy and clear double standards.” pic.twitter.com/xq0lkmHL2w
— Kevin Frey (@KevinFreyTV) April 22, 2024
“It is time for Columbia University to turn the page on this shameful chapter. This can only be done through the restoration of order and your prompt resignation,” the letter concluded.