‘Failed’ Columbia University president resigns, citing ‘personal toll’

“After failing to protect Jewish students and negotiating with pro-Hamas terrorists, this forced resignation is long overdue,” wrote Rep. Elise Stefanik.

By World Israel News Staff

The embattled president of Columbia University announced her resignation, following months of protests that rocked the Ivy League institution and triggered a federal investigation into antisemitism on campus.

During a Congressional hearing on campus antisemitism, Egypt-born Minouche Shafik was one of several Ivy League presidents who failed to condemn calls for genocide against Jewish students at her school.

“I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead,” wrote Shafik in her resignation letter, which did not acknowledge any of her failures in keeping the campus safe for Jewish and Israeli students.

Using euphemistic language, Shafik noted that she had been president during “a period of turmoil where it has been difficult to overcome divergent views across our community.”

While she avoided specifically naming the protests, Shafik alluded to controversy that has “taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community.”

While many blamed Shafik for allowing the protests to spiral out of control, she did call police after professional agitators, alongside a handful of students, took over a building and held maintenance staff hostage.

That decision sparked outrage from far-left Columbia students and staff, who claimed in an open letter that she had “violated our community’s values” by asking for assistance from law enforcement.

Many Jewish community advocates welcomed the news of Shafik’s departure from the school.

Her “failed presidency was untenable,” wrote Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) on social media platform X.

“After failing to protect Jewish students and negotiating with pro-Hamas terrorists, this forced resignation is long overdue,” Stefanik continued.

“We will continue to demand moral clarity, condemnation of antisemitism, protection of Jewish students and faculty, and stronger leadership from American higher education institutions.”

Junior Elisha Baker, who is the co-chair of pro-Israel student group Aryeh, said that Shafik’s replacement should implement policies to protect Jewish and Israeli students from violent or threatening protests.

“What we need is strong leadership from our administration to clarify, codify and enforce policies that will basically restore order to the campus,” Baker told the Washington Post.

American college campusesantisemitism on campusColumbia protestsColumbia UniversityIvy leagueMinouche Shafik