Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch had a “positive” meeting with Katrina Armstrong, the interim president of Columbia University, on Monday, the the Consulate General of Israel in New York stated.
The meeting focused on “combating antisemitism on campus and promoting academic collaborations between Israel and the United States,” per the consulate.
The two agreed “on the importance of taking firm action against antisemitism on campus and ensuring that academic institutions do not allow a hostile environment against Jews,” per an Israeli readout.
The university leader also “emphasized her commitment to fighting this phenomenon and noted that Columbia University has already taken significant steps to address the issue,” according to the consulate.
“The fight against antisemitism on American academic campuses is essential, and I am pleased to see that Columbia University interim president prof. Armstrong is committed to this issue and is taking decisive action to eradicate this phenomenon,” Kirsch stated. “This is an important step, and I hope other universities will follow her and take responsibility for ensuring a safe environment for Jewish and Israeli students and faculty.”
Armstrong stated that “it was an honor to have the opportunity to meet with Minister of Education Kisch today to speak about our efforts on campus to address and eliminate antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, and to discuss our collaborations on education and research,” per the consulate.
Since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Columbia has been a hotbed of campus Jew-hatred and has been subject to congressional hearings, Title VI investigations and lawsuits.
Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, recently wrote a letter to Armstrong outlining “numerous antisemitic incidents” since the start of the 2024 school year, demanding requests for records of these incidents.