NEW YORK – In response to reports that Columbia University is nearing a deal with the federal government to restore nearly $400 million in frozen funding, J. Philip Rosen, Chair of the World Jewish Congress - American Section, issued the following statement:
“Freezing Columbia’s funding was a bold and necessary move. It showed this administration was willing to act where others wouldn’t. It put elite universities on notice.
“But the deal now being reported doesn’t meet the moment. Columbia would regain access to taxpayer dollars in exchange for internal reviews and limited data disclosures — while avoiding the very reforms that give an agreement teeth. There’s no independent oversight. No consent decree. No changes to the university senate that failed to discipline campus agitators. No requirement that Columbia’s next president be selected through a politically balanced process.
“That’s not accountability. That’s a soft exit.
“Columbia didn’t just look the other way. It protected faculty who encouraged antisemitism and allowed Jewish students to be harassed out of classrooms. It canceled classes rather than enforce discipline. If this ends with a few spreadsheets and no structural change, the message is clear: wait long enough, say the right things, and Washington will blink.
“And universities, like Harvard and Cornell, are watching. So are their counterparts abroad — where Jewish students face threats of extreme violence, and where U.S. action sets the tone. A weak deal here becomes a blueprint.
“The president made the hard call. He used leverage no one else had the courage to use. But follow-through matters. This agreement sets the precedent. We urge the administration to hold the line and ensure the final deal reflects the strength that brought us to this point.”
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