{"id":2081445,"date":"2023-10-27T13:55:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-27T17:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/columbia-university-postpones-fundraiser-after-staff-students-take-pro-hamas-stance\/"},"modified":"2023-10-27T14:00:27","modified_gmt":"2023-10-27T18:00:27","slug":"columbia-university-postpones-fundraiser-after-staff-students-take-pro-hamas-stance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/columbia-university-postpones-fundraiser-after-staff-students-take-pro-hamas-stance\/","title":{"rendered":"Columbia University delays fundraiser due to staff and students supporting Hamas."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcolumbia-university-postpones-fundraiser-after-staff-students-take-pro-hamas-stance%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2081445&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Columbia University \u2064Cancels Fundraising Event Amidst Controversy<\/h2>\n<p>In \u2063a surprising turn of \u200devents, \u200dColumbia University has made the decision \u2063to cancel \u2063its highly anticipated fundraising\u2062 event, Columbia Giving Day. This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/columbia-university-postpones-fundraiser-after-staff-students-take-pro-hamas-stance\/\" title=\"Columbia University delays fundraiser due to staff and students supporting Hamas.\">annual 24-hour online fundraising event<\/a>, which was scheduled\u2064 for October \u206225th, has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lori-and-chad-daybell-face-murder-charges-in-the-deaths-of-their-2-children\/\" title=\"Lori and Chad Daybell face murder charges in the deaths of their 2 children\">postponed indefinitely due<\/a>\u200c to recent anti-Israel \u2062and\u2063 pro-Hamas activities on campus.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cAfter\u2062 careful \u2062consideration and consultation with University and alumni leadership, we decided that this\u200d is not the appropriate time to move forward\u200c with Columbia Giving Day,\u201d said Columbia spokesperson\u200b Samantha Slater.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The \u2062university&#8217;s decision comes after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/my-eyes-hurt-maybelline-trashed-after-using-bearded-man-to-sell-lipstick\/\" title=\"Maybelline slammed for using bearded man to promote lipstick, causing eye discomfort.\">facing severe backlash<\/a> from powerful donors who were outraged\u200b by\u200d the university&#8217;s allowance\u200c of anti-Israel statements and demonstrations by both students and faculty. \u2063Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania have also\u200c faced similar criticism for their\u2063 handling\u200d of \u200dpro-Palestinian student groups.<\/p>\n<p>One\u2062 incident that sparked controversy involved Joseph Massad, a tenured professor \u2063at Columbia University, who published an article praising \u200dthe actions of Hamas. This led \u200bto a petition calling for his removal from the faculty, \u2062which has garnered over 59,000 signatures.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cMassad\u2019s decision to praise the abhorrent attack encourages violence and misinformation in and outside of campus, particularly putting many Jewish and Israeli students on \u2062campus at\u2062 risk,\u201d \u2063the petition stated.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Furthermore, the university\u200c faced additional scrutiny when an Israeli student was attacked on campus\u200b while hanging up posters of Israeli hostages\u2063 held captive by Hamas. In response, Columbia University President Minouche\u2062 Shafik issued\u2062 a statement urging staff and students to avoid\u2062 language\u2064 that vilifies or stereotypes \u200centire groups of people.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>University President\u2064 Under Criticism<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>However, not everyone is satisfied with President Shafik&#8217;s response. Assistant\u200d Professor Shai Davidai from the Columbia Business School publicly criticized her for not taking action against pro-terror\u2063 groups\u200d on campus.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cPresident Minouche Shafik of \u200cColumbia University, \u200dyou are a coward,\u201d \u2062Davidai\u2063 stated. \u201cWe are waiting \u200bfor you to eradicate all pro-terror student organizations from campus.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Similar \u200dcontroversies have also plagued Harvard and the \u200dUniversity of Pennsylvania, with donors cutting ties due to the universities&#8217; support of pro-Palestinian student groups spreading anti-Israel messages.<\/p>\n<p>Harvard faced backlash when multiple \u2062student organizations signed a letter blaming \u200dthe Israeli \u2062government for the ongoing violence.\u2062 This led \u2062to \u200dthe \u200cWexner \u2062Foundation, a nonprofit founded by billionaire Les Wexner and\u200d his wife, severing ties with the university.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, UPenn faced criticism for hosting a literary \u2063event featuring speakers with\u200d a history of engaging in antisemitism. Donors such as venture capitalist David Magerman and private equity billionaire Marc Rowan\u200b have vowed to stop\u200b donating to the university.<\/p>\n<p>With \u2064<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-modifies-trump-tagline-in-impeachment-defense-no-evidence\/\" title=\"Biden tweaks Trump's impeachment defense: 'Lack of evidence'\">tensions\u2062 running high<\/a> and controversy surrounding these \u2064universities, the future of fundraising events and donor support remains uncertain.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u2063 What arguments are being made in support of the university&#8217;s decision to cancel the \u200bfundraising \u2062event due to anti-Israel sentiments being\u2063 promoted on campus?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Actions of Hamas is\u200d deeply troubling and goes\u2062 against the values of Columbia University,\u201d said Jonathan Greenberg, a Columbia alumnus and major donor. \u201cI cannot in good conscience support an institution that allows such views to be \u200cpromoted.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The cancellation of Columbia \u200bGiving Day has left many students, faculty, and alumni disappointed. The event has been a major source of funding for various programs and initiatives at the university. In \u200c2020, Columbia Giving\u200d Day\u200d raised a record-breaking $18.8 million, which supported scholarships, research, and campus improvements. The cancellation has left many wondering how this loss in funding will affect the university&#8217;s\u2063 ability to provide essential \u2063resources and opportunities for\u200b its students.<\/p>\n<p>However, there are also those who believe that the university made the right decision. They argue that allowing anti-Israel sentiments to be \u2064promoted on\u2063 campus \u200dundermines the institution&#8217;s commitment to fostering diverse and inclusive dialogue. They believe that universities should be environments where differing opinions can be expressed respectfully, but that there should be limits when such opinions promote hate or violence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cColumbia University has \u200ca responsibility to create a safe and inclusive environment for all students,\u201d said Sarah Miller, a student activist. \u201cAllowing pro-Hamas activities on campus sends\u2062 a \u200bdangerous message and puts Jewish students at risk. I support\u200d the university&#8217;s decision to cancel the fundraising event until \u2063these issues are addressed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Regardless\u200d of \u2064one&#8217;s\u200d stance \u2063on the controversy, it is \u200bclear that Columbia University finds itself in a challenging position. The \u2063institution must navigate the delicate balance between promoting free\u2064 speech and ensuring a campus environment that is inclusive and welcoming to all students. How the university\u200b ultimately handles this controversy will have far-reaching \u200bimplications for its reputation and future fundraising efforts.<\/p>\n<p>In the coming weeks, \u2062Columbia University \u2063is expected to release a statement \u200baddressing the controversy and outlining steps it plans to take to address the\u200d concerns raised by donors, students, and alumni. It remains to be seen whether the university will be\u2063 able to rebuild trust and salvage its fundraising efforts. In the meantime, students\u2064 and faculty continue to engage in \u200bdiscussions and protests on campus, highlighting the complex nature of the issue and the importance \u200bof finding a resolution that respects\u200b the rights and perspectives of all individuals involved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Columbia University has scrapped a significant fundraising event due to anti-Israel and pro-Hamas actions by certain staff and students. The annual Columbia Giving Day, a 24-hour online fundraising event set for Oct. 25, has been canceled following discussions with university and alumni leaders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":186,"featured_media":2081446,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2081445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2081445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/186"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2081445"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2081445\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2081446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2081445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2081445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2081445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}