Columbia University President Minouche Shafik resigns months after Israel-Hamas war protests roiled campus
NBCJUL 2024
Columbia University President Resigns Over Gaza Protests
Above: Minouche Shafik testifies before Congress on April 17, 2024. Image copyright: Alex Wong/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Shafik fell short of her responsibilities as president of Columbia, particularly in failing to protect Jewish students and stop the spread of antisemitism on campus. Among her sins was saying that a slogan that calls for the extermination of Jews was not a breach of university policy. She had to be replaced.
Narrative B
After Shafik allowed the NYPD on campus — leading to dozens of arrests, as well as many students getting bloodied and battered — she thanked the police for their "professionalism." This was a betrayal of her students that rendered her position at the university unsustainable. She had to go.