On Wednesday, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro blasted colleges for not doing enough to protect students from antisemitic acts that have escalated from peaceful demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In an exclusive interview with HEADLINESFOREVER, Shapiro called the situation at Columbia and other campuses throughout the country “absolutely unacceptable” because universities cannot ensure the safety of their students.
“It is my belief that the local leadership—mayor, governor, town councilor—should intervene and uphold the law if the universities, in line with their policies, are unable to ensure the safety, security, and welfare of the students,” he continued.
The remarks made by the Democratic governor coincide with the nationwide upheaval caused by pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses. There have been reports of Jewish students feeling unsafe and targeted on campus. College presidents, especially at Columbia, are struggling to find a middle ground between students’ rights to demonstrate and the safety of Jewish students.
A senior rabbi at Columbia University issued a stern warning to Jewish students over the weekend, saying that the institution has “made it clear” that police “cannot guarantee” their safety on campus in Upper Manhattan.
With the establishment of encampments and the arrest of protestors by local police at Columbia, New York, and Yale universities, the number of demonstrations over the past week has grown. Temple and Rutgers campuses, along with the University of Pennsylvania, had not experienced any arrests or disruptive protests as of Wednesday. A number of tents were set up by a group of Swarthmore College students in a southwest Philadelphia suburb requesting that the university divest from Israeli assets, as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Protesters in Shapiro’s state who shouted “genocide” outside a falafel restaurant in Philadelphia last year were strongly criticized by the prominent surrogate for President Joe Biden and many who believe he has national political aspirations. He compared it to “like 1930s Germany stuff” on Wednesday.
“Someone stopped their car, rolled down the window and made terroristic threats against our Muslim neighbors,” he said of an incident that occurred during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at the Pennsylvania state capitol.
“I will remain steadfast in my moral compass and endeavor to be a reassuring voice amidst this current chaos,” he declared.
Also last year, Shapiro was in the news when Liz Magill, the former president of the University of Pennsylvania, came under fire for her testimony before Congress over the university administration’s reaction to antisemitism. Magill had called the response a “failure of leadership.” In December, Magill resigned.
Specifically, the governor noted that when there is a threat to student safety, the state and local governments are in touch with Penn administration, and that other colleges and universities should follow suit.
Shapiro, one of four Jewish governors in the nation, expressed his belief that he had a “somewhat unique responsibility” to denounce instances of antisemitism on college campuses and in local communities. Antisemitism and Islamophobia have been on the increase. It is my firm belief that every individual, including governors, has a responsibility to address these concerns with unwavering moral conviction.