Between 2014 and 2019, Columbia University received $295 million in donations from Qatar, along with additional funds from other non-democratic nations. Meanwhile, the university receives $5 billion in grants from the US government. The administration also has other tools at its disposal, such as imposing fines or revoking the university's tax-exempt status. However, the numbers do not tell the full story, any university that loses government support will quickly lose its status, its top researchers, and its students.
This "small" cut is merely a warning shot, signaling to all universities. The task force has already launched investigations into other leading institutions, and further economic measures - even criminal indictments - are expected. On Sunday, a deportation order was issued against the leader of the Columbia riots, the first of many to be expelled.
University leaders and their boards of trustees have no choice but to address the institutionalized antisemitism that has permeated every corner of their campuses.
Where is Columbia's loyalty?
