On Friday, November 8, End Jew Hatred held a protest on 116th and Broadway, condemning the recent reported antisemitic violence in Amsterdam.  

On Friday at noon, November 8, End Jew Hatred (EJH) supporters assembled on 116th and Broadway to protest the antisemitic attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam on Thursday. On their Instagram, EJH stated that they aim to “end Jew hatred everywhere,” writing, “today it’s Amsterdam, tomorrow it’s NYC,” referencing the recent reported attacks on Israeli soccer players in Amsterdam.

Amidst steel barricades and NYPD officers, the EJP protestors flourished the Israeli flag and brandished signs and t-shirts that read “Mothers against College Anti-Semitism” and “#EJP”. 

Protestors holding up a sign saying “Mothers Against College Anti-Semitism.”

The protest was led by Columbia Business School Assistant Professor Shai Davidai, a controversial pro-Israel figure who was recently banned from Columbia’s campus. He raised a number of contentious issues including the Columbia October 7 protests, Columbia allegedly “shutting down their only Kosher dining hall,” and Barnard inviting Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese to speak as part of the “Human Rights and Humanitarianism in Contemporary Conflict” lecture series. Davidai alleged that Albanese is “an open and blatant antisemite” who “attacked [him] on Twitter.” He also did not specify which Kosher dining hall was shut down, and Bwog cannot confirm this allegation; Barnard Kosher at Hewitt Dining Hall is still open. 

Shai Davidai shouting as he condemns Fransesca Albanese.

Davidai invited speakers including first-year student Maya Zuckerman who declared, “We need to be strong to ensure that our campus is a safe place for all students.” Zuckerman was followed by non-Columbia affiliate Daniel Lifschutz who condemned the Amsterdam attack and issued a call to action for Jewish people to crowdsource “influence” to “do every small thing that can make a difference here.” These speeches were punctuated with chants of “Shame!,” “Bring them Home!,” and patters of applause. 

Davidai eventually declared that “Columbia and Harvard and Penn and Stanford and Berkeley” must start “educating rather than indoctrinating.” At this point, another speaker said, “In every generation, the haters have risen up to destroy us. We cannot focus on the haters, we need to focus on showing up today.” 

Bwog interviewed non-Columbia affiliate one protestor, Joseph Borgen. When asked what changes he would like to see within the University, he said, “One word: accountability.” He stated that he hoped to see consequences for the “horrible actions,” which he referred to as the pro-Palestine protests, specifically the occupation of Hamilton Hall in 2023. When asked about the fact that Davidai was banned from campus, Borgen declared that it is “abhorrent” and “disgusting” and represents a “double standard.” He alleged that there are “other professors on campus that violated the Title VI rights of Jewish students, blocked their access and broke into buildings, but they aren’t the ones being punished.” In particular, Borgen named Professor of Modern Arab Politics and Intellectual History Joseph Massad who allegedly “celebrated” the October 7 attack by Hamas.

Eventually, the NYPD asked Bwog and other reporting agencies to “move out,” and by approximately 1:30 pm the protest had largely disassembled. 

EJH protest photos via Bwog Staff