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Anyone following the protests at Columbia University since October 7 and the administration’s response to them might have been surprised by reports over the weekend that the university had decided to “surrender” to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The term “surrender” may sound controversial — some might prefer to say that Columbia chose to comply with his demands. But for the university, it’s nothing short of capitulation. After all, this is the same institution that, just a few years ago, sued Trump, arguing he had no legal right to block American citizens on social media. For Columbia, its battle against Trump has been personal.
About two weeks ago, the Trump administration issued a set of demands to Columbia, warning that failure to comply would result in the loss of $400 million in federal funding. Many began speculating how the university would manage without government support, assuming it would refuse to yield. But in reality, Trump’s demands are entirely reasonable.
Is it unreasonable to insist that students who occupied buildings, expelled Jewish students from campus or compared Israel to Nazi Germany during protests face consequences? Is it not sensible for the university to require protestors to reveal their faces so they can be identified if they cause damage? Isn’t it Columbia’s duty to ensure that campus security has the authority to protect students?
Would it be unreasonable to monitor departments, including the Middle Eastern Studies Department and the Center for Palestine Studies, which openly incite against Israel? And, at the most basic level, given what Columbia students have experienced in recent years, shouldn’t the university adopt an official definition of antisemitism? How can one fight it if it cannot even be properly identified?
These demands wouldn’t have arisen if Columbia hadn’t, through its own actions, positioned itself as a champion of extreme and excessive free speech — free speech that has manifested in calls for the murder of Jews and the destruction of Israel.
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Anti-Israel protests at Columbia University
(Photo: David Dee Delgado / Getty Images)
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I was there. I led Columbia’s pro-Israel student organization during my five years at the university, completing both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Since at least 2017, “Students Supporting Israel” has regularly reported severe antisemitic and anti-Zionist incidents to the administration — only to be ignored.
The sole party responsible for Trump’s ultimatum is Columbia itself. It had countless opportunities to prevent this situation, yet at every crossroads, it chose the wrong path.
Trump’s demands didn’t make Columbia realize it had failed in its duty to protect Jewish students. If it had a choice, it would have ignored the ultimatum and carried on — consequences for Jewish students be damned. But it didn’t have a choice. Antisemitism at Columbia doesn’t only concern the U.S. president — it also concerns donors.
Columbia canceled its 2023 fundraising day out of fear that donations would dry up due to anti-Israel protests. In 2024, the amount it raised was 30% lower than in 2022. In a situation where donors are fleeing, Columbia needs government funding — at any cost.
Ofir DayanTrump played his hand well by issuing this ultimatum, but for Israel, it’s unfortunate that it came from him. Trump is a lightning rod for controversy in many parts of American society and his unwavering support for Israel could backfire in the long run.
This is also evident in the case of a Columbia student whose visa Trump revoked due to his participation in protests. Yet, just as Columbia had no choice, neither does Israel. The situation at some U.S. universities has become so dire that the immediate safety of Jewish students outweighs long-term strategic concerns. And when things are this bad, Israel is fortunate to have a president like Trump on its side.
- Ofir Dayan is a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, board member of Forum Dvorah and former president of Students Supporting Israel at Columbia University.