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Columbia University professor Shai Davidai's temporary campus ban draws mixed reactions

After months of student complaints, the pro-Israeli assistant professor was punished for his actions against university employees
Assistant professor Shai Davidai holds a pro-Israeili rally at Columbia University in New York City, on 22 April 2024 (David Dee Delgado/AFP)
By Maysa Mustafa
Published date: 16 October 2024 21:20 BST | Last update: 1 month ago

Columbia University assistant professor Shai Davidai, who many pro-Palestine students have accused of harassment since the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel, has had his campus access restricted for “repeatedly" harassing and intimidating university employees, the university told Middle East Eye. 

While there have been many complaints from pro-Palestine students against the Israeli professor, the university’s decision to limit his access to campus comes after incidents with university employees. 

“Columbia has consistently and continually respected Assistant Professor Davidai's right to free speech and to express his views,” University spokesperson Millie Wert told MEE via email.

“His freedom of speech has not been limited and is not being limited now. Columbia, however, does not tolerate threats of intimidation, harassment, or other threatening behavior by its employees.”

The university said that they have "temporarily limited his access to campus while he undertakes appropriate training on our policies governing the behavior of our employees."

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Davidai publicised the university’s decision to restrict him from campus in a video posted to his Instagram account on Tuesday.

In the video, he said his lawyer told him that “the university has decided to not allow me to be on campus anymore. My job. Why? Because of October 7th. Because I was not afraid to stand up to the hateful mob. And because I was not afraid to expose Mr fucking Cas Holloway.”

Davidai says he was suspended for posting multiple videos on X of his conversations with chief operating officer Cas Holloway and assistant director of public safety Bobby Lau on the anniversary of the 7 October attacks and during the Columbia University Apartheid Divest walkout.

“Because I posted those videos, and now everybody knows Cas Holloway’s name and Bobby Lau’s name, they retaliate. They don’t like being exposed,” Davidai said.

In a video posted on X, Davidai is seen talking with Lau, saying, “You are such a useless administrator. But you know what, there were so many useless administrators in Nazi Germany, and you know what? After the war, they said they did everything they could.”

He also posted the video response to the university's decision on X, followed by a tweet that said Holloway "is a little man with a big ego and a smug smile", as well as Halloway's Columbia email address for Davidai's supporters to "tell him exactly what you think of him". 

During the Columbia protest walkout where Davidai is accused of harassing Columbia employees, a video posted on X shows Davidai walking into participants of the walk-out, with the social media user alleging that Davidai was doing it intentionally.


Student and faculty recall experiences with Davidai

Many students have taken to their social media accounts to tell of their own experiences with Davidai, going back to the fall 2023 semester. 

A majority of the complaints occurred in April during the Columbia solidarity encampment for Gaza, which he repeatedly attempted to enter, but the grievances continued into the new school year. 

Davidai in April called pro-Palestine students "the Hitler Youth" and used his social media accounts - where he has over 100,000 followers - to repeatedly call for the US National Guard to be brought into the protest encampment. 

Layla, a Palestinian student at Columbia, posted on Tuesday that Davidai had allegedly "targeted" her for months. 

Another student, Maryam Iqbal, accused Davidai of "stalking" her. 

Former faculty member Mohamed Abdou – who discovered he was "terminated" from the university while watching Columbia's House antisemitism congressional hearing in April – has also taken to his social media accounts to tell of his experience with Davidai. 

"Shai didn't just harass and endanger students but also staff/faculty like me," he wrote on X. "He composed entire [X threads] about me and tagged FBI and homeland security." 

Columbia did not directly address MEE's questions about whether students’ accusations of harassment were investigated prior to limiting his campus access or whether they had any input into the university’s decision.

An official at Columbia University told MEE that the access restriction was a direct result of Davidai’s conduct on 7 October 2024, for harassing university employees in violation of university policy.

"This is not about one isolated incident or any one individual employee," they added. 

At the time of the pro-Palestine encampment in the spring, Columbia responded to his repeated attempts to enter it by limiting his access to campus.

This incident was followed by Davidai organising a counter-protest outside of school grounds.

During the spring semester 2024, there were calls from inside and outside of campus for Columbia to fire Davidai. A petition that was made during that time currently has over 13,300 signatures. 

Reactions to the decision 

In addition to those who have spoken of their experiences with Davidai, social media has been flooded with celebratory language – and many memes – of the university's decision. 

One X user hopes this would have a lasting impact on campus. 

For those who support Davidai, the news of his temporary campus ban is being deemed as an infringement of the First Amendment. 

"Columbia appears to be into free speech UNLESS that speech is NOT supportive of violence and antisemitism," one person posted on X.

Another social media user posted that Columbia's decision was "Nazi Germany-type stuff". 

Although many online see the university's decision as a positive move, they remain critical of Columbia for taking a year to do so. 

One person felt that "justice was served" after reportedly enduring harassment from Davidai. 

Amidst the celebratory posts from students and their supporters, many have pointed out that this decision did not come in response to his treatment of students. 

One X user posted that limiting Davidai's access to campus "isn't enough".

"He needs to be fired @Columbia. You cannot employ a stalker."

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