Columbia University is facing backlash after the student group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) distributed a controversial publication, The Columbia Intifada, on campus.
The newspaper contains inflammatory rhetoric labeling Jews as “colonists” and “subjugators” and includes articles with provocative titles such as “Zionist Peace Means Palestinian Blood” and “The Myth of the Two-State Solution.”
SJP, which Columbia had previously suspended for policy violations, printed 1,000 copies of the publication.
The university condemned the unauthorized use of its name and logo, reiterating its disapproval of SJP’s rhetoric and tactics. The group’s suspension last November followed accusations of “threatening rhetoric and intimidation.”
Critics, including Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY), have condemned Columbia for allowing such content to circulate. Lawler called the situation “outrageous” and expressed concern over rising campus hostility toward Jewish students.
If Columbia cannot protect Jewish students on their campus, they should lose federal funding and have their tax-exempt status revoked,” the rep wrote in a post on X.
“And for those students here on a visa engaged in an “intifada” against American students of the Jewish faith? Deport them,” he continued.
The four-page publication lacks bylines and provides no opportunity for reader responses, reinforcing concerns about accountability and bias. Its masthead features a quote from poet Sophia Armen, reading, “You, genocider — who remembers you?”—adding to the publication’s polarizing tone.
Columbia has yet to outline specific actions regarding the group or the distribution of the newspaper but emphasized its commitment to fostering a respectful campus environment.
