Viral Columbia professor who called out campus antisemitism says university investigating him in ‘retaliation’
A Columbia Business School professor who condemned campus inaction on antisemitism claims he is under internal investigation by the university over his advocacy for Jewish and Israeli students, faculty and staff. “This is a clear act of retaliation and an attempt to silence me,” Shai Davidai wrote on X, also sharing a longer statement. Davidai, an assistant professor, said that since Oct. 7, when Hamas “raped, tortured and slaughtered more than 1,200 of my people and kidnapped an additional 250 civilians,” Columbia’s campus “has been a hostile environment for Jews and Israelis like me.” The House Education and the Workforce Committee has been investigating Columbia University and other colleges over the rise of antisemitism on American campuses in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. Citing the House probe, Davidai noted how Columbia is also under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education and is facing two lawsuits brought by close to 20 Jewish students for alleged violations of their civil rights. VIRAL COLUMBIA PROFESSOR WHO CONDEMNED CAMPUS INACTION ON ANTISEMITISM SAYS HE’S ‘ASHAMED’ OF ELITE SCHOOL Davidai went viral after being captured on video calling Columbia University President Minouche Shafik a “coward” for remaining silent on “pro-terror” groups at school. Over the past months, Jewish students at Columbia have been locking themselves in their dorm rooms to avoid being assaulted, his statement says, and Jewish students have been spat on, attacked, bullied and vilified. “Columbia has done nothing to stop pro-terror organizations that justify, excuse, and celebrate the massacre of my people, and chant for their eradication ‘by any means necessary’ as if violence against my four-year-old Israeli niece and my 93-year-old Israeli grandmother would be justified,” he wrote. He said “speaking up has ruined my life,” claiming to have received death threats on a daily basis, been targeted on social media, including by Columbia students and faculty, and has avoided spending time on campus out of fear of being “verbally or physically assaulted.” “And now, I am being persecuted by Columbia, which is retaliating against me based on groundless complaints. There is no easy way to put this, so I’ll just come out and say it: I am Jewish and Israeli. I spoke up against the university. And now the university is weaponizing an internal investigation to silence me. In doing so, Columbia reveals the depths of its hostility toward its Jewish community: ‘How dare a Jewish professor speak up on behalf of Jewish students who are under siege!” JEWISH COLUMBIA STUDENTS FACED WITH THREATS, ATTACKS SPEAK OUT, SAY SOME PROTESTERS AREN’T FULLY EDUCATED “Every person – Jewish and non-Jewish – with whom I’ve confided about this investigation has said the same two things: that this reeks of retaliation and that this reeks of antisemitism,” he wrote. Davidai said he would engage in good faith and plans to cooperate fully with investigators and therefore won’t divulge specific details about the probe. “At the same time, I will call out Columbia’s bad faith in retaliating against me. And even cursory examination of my advocacy shows the absurdity of this investigation,” Davidai added. A petition on Change.org titled, “DEFEND DAVIDAI: Demand that Columbia End its Persecution of Jewish Professor Shai Davidai” has garnered nearly 30,000 signatures online as of Thursday. “Shai should be applauded for his actions – not punished. His refusal to remain silent has empowered students to speak out against antisemitism on campuses everywhere,” the petition organizers wrote. “By silencing Shai, Columbia is effectively silencing Jewish students everywhere. After all, if a respected professor cannot speak out against antisemitism without facing retribution, how can a student be expected to do so?” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP It demands that Columbia immediately drop its internal investigation against Davidai and calls on Columbia’s leadership to “take proactive steps to create a safer and more inclusive environment for Jewish students and faculty,” including by punishing and enforcing sanctions against organizations that harass and bully Jewish students, working with law enforcement and aiding in the prosecution of individuals who commit hate crimes against Jewish individuals, encouraging Jewish students to report harassment without fear of reprisal, and implementing increased safety and security measures for Jewish students and organizations. Columbia University did not respond to a request for comment.
Why is the Biden administration suing Apple? All to know
The US government has filed a landmark antitrust lawsuit against Apple, in which it accuses the tech giant of maintaining a “broad, sustained and illegal” monopoly over the smartphone market. Here is what we know about the case and what might happen next: Why is Apple being sued? Apple is the largest of the four main tech giants, Amazon, Apple, Meta and Google, all of which have market capitalisations of more than a trillion dollars. All four have been investigated by regulators in the United States and Europe in recent years following complaints that they are monopolising the tech market by stifling competition. Apple, the highest-valued publicly listed organisation in the world, is the “test case” for the US government’s legal challenge. “We allege that Apple has maintained monopoly power in the smartphone market, not simply by staying ahead of the competition on the merits, but by violating federal antitrust law,” Attorney General Merrick Garland told a news conference. “If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly. The Justice Department will vigorously enforce antitrust laws that protect consumers from higher prices and fewer choices,” he added. The US government argues that Apple “undermines apps, products and services that would otherwise make users less reliant on the iPhone”. Garland also noted that Apple’s net income “exceeds the individual GDP of more than 100 countries”. He said this is a result of the iPhone’s success. “Apple’s share of the entire US smartphone market exceeds 65 percent,” he added. What are the main allegations put forth by the Department of Justice? In its legal challenge, lodged in federal court in New Jersey, the Department of Justice alleges that Apple is illegally preventing competition by restricting access to its hardware and software. The 88-page lawsuit, filed in New Jersey federal court, listed five areas in which Apple allegedly abuses its power. Blocking innovative apps: The lawsuit says Apple has disrupted the development of apps that could make it “easier for users to switch between competing platforms”. Suppressing mobile cloud streaming services: It also alleges that the company has prevented the development of cloud streaming apps that would allow consumers to enjoy high-quality video games and other cloud-based applications without having to pay for expensive smartphone hardware. Cross-platform messaging apps: Messages between iPhone and Android phones can be less secure as iMessage does not allow the exchange of encrypted messages with competing platforms. The company is also accused of “gumming up” photos and videos exchanged with non-Apple devices and reducing their quality. In 2022, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, was asked during a tech conference whether Apple would fix iPhone-to-Android messaging. The questioner said: “Not to make it personal but I can’t send my mum certain videos”. Cook responded: “Buy your mum an iPhone.” Diminishing the functionality of non-Apple smartwatches: The suit alleges that this means “users who purchase the Apple Watch face substantial out-of-pocket costs if they do not keep buying iPhones”. Limiting third-party digital wallets: The suit alleges that Apple has prevented third-party apps from offering tap-to-pay functionality, inhibiting the creation of cross-platform third-party digital wallets. This is the first legal challenge to Apple by US president Joe Biden’s administration. However, the firm has come under regulatory scrutiny for years. Apple has been involved in antitrust investigations in Europe, Japan and South Korea, with US-headquartered video gaming and software company Epic Games having already initiated legal action. Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces the new Apple Watch in 2014 [Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP] How has Apple responded? Apple has called the lawsuit “wrong on the facts and the law”, and warned the case would set a “dangerous precedent”. “At Apple, we innovate every day to make technology people love – designing products that work seamlessly together, protect people’s privacy and security, and create a magical experience for our users,” the company said in a statement. “This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets. If successful, it would hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple – where hardware, software, and services intersect.” Apple iPhone 15 Pro smartphones at a Best Buy store in Montreal, Quebec [File: Graham Hughes/Bloomberg via Getty Images] According to experts, however, the lawsuit does not seek to “dictate how the tech company should design its products, but rather to emphasise the range of options available to users”. “There is always a concern [with legislations] .. in the sense that legislation on technology is a little bit behind to where the technology is,” Katharine Trendacosta, director of policy and activism for Electronic Frontier Foundation, told Al Jazeera. “But that’s not exactly what this lawsuit is about. This lawsuit is about practices that Apple is doing that are anticompetitive. There is a difference between legislation that says you need … to allow people to do something versus you have to design in a specific way,” she added. What impact has the suit had on Apple? Shares of the company slid by just over 4 percent to close at $171.37 after the announcement. Apple shares have fallen more than 10 percent so far this year. This marks a departure from 2023, when the company’s stock surged to an all-time high of $197.86 on December 14. When will the court rule? Analysts say a resolution is not expected soon. Apple is likely to defend itself vigorously and this case could roll on for some time. In another antitrust case against Microsoft in the 1990s, in which the company was accused of illegally forcing PC manufacturers to favour its Internet Explorer software, it took three years to reach a settlement and another four years to go through the appeals courts. Adblock test (Why?)
UK, Australia call for ‘immediate’ end to fighting in Gaza
Two countries warn of ‘potentially devastating consequences’ if Israel pushes ahead with ground offensive in Rafah. Australia and the United Kingdom have called for an “immediate cessation of fighting” in Gaza, warning of “potentially devastating consequences” if Israel goes ahead with a planned ground assault on the southern city of Rafah. The two countries issued a joint statement on Friday, expressing “deep concern at the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza” after Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles hosted their British counterparts, David Cameron and Grant Shapps, for talks in Adelaide. The ministers noted “the large number of displaced persons taking refuge in the area and lack of safe spaces in Gaza” as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved plans for an attack on Gaza’s southernmost area, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians have sought shelter after fleeing bombardments in other parts of the enclave. “They expressed the urgency of an immediate cessation of fighting in Gaza to allow aid to flow and hostages to be released as a crucial step toward a permanent, sustainable ceasefire,” said the statement, which was released as truce negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States are continuing in Doha. UN vote The call, which signals Britain and Australia’s increasing anxiety about the toll and impact of the war, came before the United Nations Security Council’s expected vote on a US-drafted resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The draft text describes an “immediate and sustained ceasefire” as an imperative to protect civilians and allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid. A truce would also be conditional on the release of some of the remaining captives taken by Hamas in its attacks on southern Israel on October 7. Washington has for months vetoed calls for resolutions including that language, shielding its ally Israel amid rising global condemnation of a war in which close to 32,000 Palestinians have been killed. A UN resolution would heap pressure on Netanyahu to pull back from an offensive in Rafah. But it is far from clear that any resolution would halt the war altogether. Britain is also a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council along with the US, Russia, China and France. Adblock test (Why?)
More than 7,350 West Bank Palestinians arrested by Israel during Gaza war
Occupied East Jerusalem – In early November, the Israeli authorities summoned Hashim Matar* to the police station in occupied East Jerusalem. For 10 days, he was interrogated about whether he supported Hamas and was a member of the Palestinian group. Between questioning, Matar was locked in a small room with other detainees, where they were punched, kicked and beaten with batons. “Lots of people had their [sternum] or heads broken, often gushing with blood,” Matar, a 54-year-old man with a short grey beard and laugh lines around his eyes, told Al Jazeera three months after he was released from detention. “We weren’t even treated like animals. At least animals are treated with some sort of dignity.” Israel has taken thousands of Palestinians captive since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, in which 1,139 people were killed and about 250 abducted. Since then, the number of Palestinians arrested in the occupied West Bank exceeds 7,350 people, according to the Addameer monitor in Ramallah. While some Palestinians have been released, 9,100 remain captive. That’s a sharp uptick from the 5,200 that were in Israeli prisons before October 7. These figures do not include the thousands of adults and children the Israeli army has reportedly detained, tortured and interrogated in makeshift prisons across Gaza, outside any legal or civilian oversight. [embedded content] Violence and neglect Since October 7, Israeli authorities have become more violent during arrests, according to a staff member of Addameer who spoke on condition of anonymity. The individual told Al Jazeera that Israeli authorities often storm homes in the West Bank and begin to kick, punch and beat everyone inside. In some cases, Israeli soldiers take family members “hostage” by threatening to whisk them away, unless the wanted person comes forward. Once in custody, Palestinians are shoved into vehicles and beaten until they arrive at the detention facility. That is where they are told to strip, get dressed and to strip again – a cycle that occurs several times while they are beaten, sometimes on their genitalia. Captives are subjected to even worse treatment behind bars. Addameer said water or electricity is cut off and captives are denied visits from their relatives or the Red Cross. The rights group added that most victims are denied healthcare, even for injuries sustained during their arrest. As a result, prisoners have died due to health neglect. “So far, 10 prisoners from the West Bank [have died]. This is the highest figure ever in such a short period,” the Addameer staff member told Al Jazeera. Israeli soldiers in armoured vehicles have become an all-too-familiar sight. Shown here is a raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on March 12, 2024 [Alaa Badarneh/EPA-EFE] Matar was afraid he might fall ill during his time in prison. He described how Israeli guards would turn the lights off during the day so captives languished in the dark and flood the cells with light at night to keep prisoners awake as they lay on the cold floors. However, being beaten was the worst part of detention, Matar said. “I would ask them: ‘Why are you beating us? What did we do to you for you to beat us?’” Administrative detention Israel has also weaponised quasi-judicial measures to arrest thousands of Palestinians without charge. Of all Palestinians detained since October 7, about 3,050 are held in “administrative detention”, an emergency measure that Israel inherited from the colonial British Mandate for Palestine. Under administrative detention, prisoners are held indefinitely and given no information about the charges against them or the ostensible evidence incriminating them. In many cases, Israeli authorities do not inform Palestinian families of the whereabouts of their detained loved ones – which amounts to an enforced disappearance, a violation of international law. “Israel’s sweeping use of administrative detention is not lawful,” said Omar Shakir, the Israel-Palestine director at Human Rights Watch. “But these practices don’t just date back years, but decades and they have only escalated since October 7.” [embedded content] The Addameer staff member added that among 200 Palestinian children languishing in Israeli prisons, 40 are held under administrative detention, and captives suffering from severe or terminal illnesses are denied seeing family and have little hope of being released. At the end of February, the Addameer staffer said, one cancer patient died in an Israeli prison at the age of 23. “He just collapsed. He died after five months of not being able to see his family,” they told Al Jazeera. “This is cruel collective punishment. Just imagine [this person’s family] who lost their beloved. They weren’t even able to be with him in his last moments.” Makeshift prisons In addition to the sweeping arrests in the West Bank, the Israeli army has arrested thousands of Palestinians from Gaza since launching its devastating war on the enclave. Over the last five months, Israel has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians and displaced nearly the entire population of 2.3 million people in Gaza. Many have also gone missing, raising fears that they are either buried under the rubble or languishing in the labyrinth of makeshift Israeli prisons in Gaza. Ibrahim Yacoub*, 29, was arrested by Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza on November 21. He said his hands were tied behind his back and he was forced to walk to an Israeli detention spot in a group of 80 captives. Israeli soldiers stand by a truck packed with Palestinians who they detained and made to strip down, in the Gaza Strip on December 8, 2023 [Yossi Zeliger/Reuters] “Any time one of us stumbled, a soldier would hit us on top of the head,” he told Al Jazeera. “I kept dreading when they were going to hit me next.” Yacoub was eventually taken to what appeared to be an empty warehouse, where Israeli soldiers interrogated him, repeatedly asking about Hamas’s operations and his role in the group. “I kept telling them that I’m not a fighter. I’m a civilian,” Yacoub said over the phone, weeks after
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Longtime PA Dem silent on support for freshman ‘Squad’ member after his name is quietly removed from site
Longtime Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey’s office has remained silent on whether the powerful Keystone State lawmaker still endorses freshman Squad member Rep. Summer Lee in light of backlash over her rhetoric on Israel. Fox News Digital reached out to Casey’s Senate office, press secretary, chief of staff and campaign repeatedly this week to see if the Democratic lawmaker endorses Lee in 2024, but received no responses. Pennsylvania will again serve as a key battleground state this election cycle as former President Donald Trump and President Biden are anticipated to face a rematch in a state that narrowly voted for Trump in 2016, and elected Biden in 2020 at a 1.17% margin. Casey is also anticipated to have a difficult election campaign this year as he defends his seat for the fourth time. His lack of response on whether he endorses the left-wing congresswoman and Squad member could mean a deepening divide between progressive Democrats and their more moderate counterparts over stances on the war in Israel. COOKIE MONSTER HIDES SEN. BOB CASEY’S REPLY ON X AFTER DEM SOUGHT CAMPAIGN DONATION: ‘CAN YOU CHIP IN? Last week, a news report surfaced detailing that Lee, who was first elected to represent Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district in 2022, removed Casey’s name from a section on her campaign website that communicates to super PACs and other outside political groups that they could include his endorsement in political ads. The section of the website is known as a “red box,” and is used by political candidates to work around rules prohibiting political groups from directly coordinating with a campaign. REPUBLICAN DAVE MCCORMICK LAUNCHES BID FOR VULNERABLE SENATE SEAT IN BATTLEGROUND STATE Jewish Insider reported last week that as recently as March 7, Casey’s name was included within the “red box” section on Rep. Lee’s campaign site, but has since been removed and replaced with Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ name and endorsement. “In her first year in office, Congresswoman Summer Lee has worked with the Biden Administration to deliver $1.2 billion dollars in investments (see video) to Allegheny and Westmoreland counties to improve transportation, create green jobs, clean our air and water, and expand affordable housing. That’s why she’s endorsed by the Democratic Party, Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO State Labor Council, SEIU and Planned Parenthood,” a section of the red box on the campaign website reads as of March 19. Fox News Digital reached out multiple times to Lee’s congressional office, chief of staff, press secretary and campaign for comment on why Casey’s name was removed from that section of the website, but did not receive any responses. Lee’s office also did not comment on questions regarding whether Casey endorses Lee’s 2024 run and if the name removal was related to the war in Israel. DEM SEN. BOB CASEY SLAMMED BY GOP FOR SHIFTING IMMIGRATION STANCES: ‘COMPLICIT IN THE CRISIS’ Casey’s name is still listed among a large swath of local and national political figures on Lee’s official endorsements page on her website, alongside Lee’s fellow Squad members such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Progressive Caucus chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal. Lee’s district is located in southwestern Pennsylvania, and includes Pittsburgh and much of Allegheny County. Pittsburgh is home to a large Jewish community, and where the 2018 mass shooting at the synagogue Tree of Life killed 11 people and wounded six others during Shabbat morning services. Lee has come under fire in recent months from pro-Israel groups and the Jewish community for her rhetoric on the war in Israel, including an open letter signed by dozens of rabbis condemning Lee for her “divisive rhetoric” they said has been “perceived as openly antisemitic.” Jewish community leaders in the Pittsburgh area have taken issue with Lee calling for a ceasefire shortly following the war beginning in Israel, for voting against a resolution backing Israel and condemning Hamas in October, as well as agreeing to attend a Muslim advocacy group’s event this month before backing out. The March letter was also signed by a handful of rabbis in Lee’s neighboring district, which is represented by Democratic Congressman Chris Deluzio. Fox News Digital reached out to Deluzio’s campaign and congressional office this week asking if he endorses Lee’s 2024 campaign, but did not receive comment back. “Chris Deluzio has been awfully quiet when it comes to Summer Lee’s extreme antisemitism, and that’s unacceptable. Why won’t Deluzio say a word while Jewish groups in his own district are speaking out against her?” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital of Deluzio. Previous media reports detailed that powerful pro-Israel lobbying group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, had worked to recruit a candidate to challenge Lee this election cycle over her Israel stance, after spending $5 million against her campaign in 2022, the Intercept reported. Shortly following the outbreak of war in Gaza, Lee joined fellow left-wing lawmakers in calling for a ceasefire in October, while President Biden and other Democrats pledged support to Israel as it battled Hamas. DEMOCRATIC SEN. BOB CASEY CONCEDES THERE’S NO ‘VIDEOTAPE’ THAT’LL DISPROVE BIDEN’S AGE CONCERNS In January, AIPAC tweeted a message that tagged Lee, fellow Squad members Reps. Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush and others, stating “a Ceasefire Now keeps these monsters armed and in power.” AIPAC is the largest pro-Israel PAC in the nation, and is expected to spend $100 million this election cycle against candidates they believe are not sufficiently pro-Israel, Politico reported earlier this month. That same month, three top House Democrats – Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar – endorsed Lee’s re-election. “A civil rights champion, advocate for organized labor and the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress, Summer Lee has worked tirelessly to deliver for working families,” the three leaders said in a statement in January. The removal of Casey’s name from the “red box” page on Lee’s campaign website could outline a growing divide within the Democratic Party amid the war in