Billionaire and CEO of the New England Patriots Robert Kraft declared that he is pulling his donations to Columbia University due to the ongoing anti-Israel protests occurring on campus.
Kraft said in a statement, “The school I love so much—the one that welcomed me and provided me with so much opportunity—is no longer an institution I recognize.”
He noted he was “deeply saddened by the virulent hate” present on the university’s campus.
“I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff and I am not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken,” Kraft added. “It is my hope that Columbia and its leadership will stand up to this hate by ending these protests immediately and will work to earn back the respect and trust of the many of us who have lost faith in the institution.”
Kraft’s announcement follows a protest leading to more than 100 Columbia students being arrested and suspended from the university.
One of the suspended students was Representative Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) daughter, Isra Hirsi.
Billionaire investor and Columbia University graduate Leon Cooperman similarly pulled funding for the university last October.
“We have one reliable ally in the Middle East. That’s Israel. We only have one democracy in the Middle East. That’s Israel. And we have one economy tolerant of different people, gays, lesbians, etc. That’s Israel. So they have no idea what these young kids are doing.”
“Now, the real shame is, I’ve given to Columbia probably about $50 million over many years,” he continued. “And I’m going to suspend my giving. I’ll give my giving to other organizations.”
