New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has compared the current wave of campus protests related to Israel’s campaign in Gaza to the lead-up to the Holocaust. Kraft, who created the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in response to the Charlottesville protest, sees rising signs of hatred in the current protests.
Jewish students at Columbia University are facing offensive rhetoric and fear on campus as tensions escalate. The U.S. Education Department is investigating alleged antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents at colleges and universities across the country.
Kraft has praised the New York Police Department for arresting protesters and called for accountability. He recently published an op-ed in the New York Post calling on campus leaders to stop radical professors from “poisoning young minds.”
In response to the handling of the protests at Columbia, Kraft has suspended financial support of the university but will continue supporting the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life. There has been a nationwide crackdown on campus protests, leading to multiple arrests in Boston and Los Angeles.
Speaker Mike Johnson has called for Columbia University President Minouche Shafik to resign and has threatened to cut federal funding for schools. However, Columbia University’s board of trustees has expressed support for President Shafik during this challenging time.
As tensions continue to rise on college campuses, it remains to be seen how universities will address the issue of antisemitism and hate speech among their student bodies. The actions taken by Kraft and other advocates for combating intolerance will likely play a significant role in shaping the future of campus activism.
