University suspends Ilhan Omar's daughter for advocacy in support of Palestinian cause
In an unprecedented move, Gaza solidarity protests at Columbia University and its sister institution, Barnard College, have been suspended following a series of events that started in April 2024. The suspension is primarily linked to a 2024 lawsuit filed by Jewish and Israeli students accusing the institutions of failing to curb antisemitism and protect students from harassment during pro-Palestinian protests.
The protests, led by Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), a coalition including pro-Palestinian groups like Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, often included mass demonstrations and encampments supporting Palestinian causes. However, the lawsuit and the colleges identified CUAD and related pro-Palestinian student groups as being involved in organizing protests that allegedly included antisemitic harassment and rhetoric endorsing violence by Hamas.
As a result, Barnard College settled the lawsuit in July 2025 by agreeing to a series of conditions aimed at addressing antisemitism and protest conduct on campus. Among these was a commitment to end engagement with CUAD and related pro-Palestinian student groups. Columbia University, although not publicly settling the lawsuit, also suspended the two major pro-Palestinian student groups indefinitely for violating protest guidelines.
The students involved in CUAD and other pro-Palestinian groups have faced criticism and disciplinary actions, including suspension and potential expulsion procedures for over 70 students connected to recent teach-ins and protests honoring Palestinian figures. They have expressed opposition to university actions, viewing them as capitulations to Zionist pressures that undermine legitimate political expression and advocacy for Palestinian rights.
Notable students affected by the suspension include Isra Hirsi, the daughter of US lawmaker Ilhan Omar, and Soph Dinu, who expressed concern about her Jewish identity being used as a means to weaponize claims of antisemitism on the campus. Maryam Iqbal commented that the administrators were targeting individual student organizers because they had lost control of the student body and the narrative.
The students participating in the protest have been encouraging teachers to hold their classes at the camp, and three Barnard College students, Hirsi, Iqbal, and Dinu, have been suspended from Barnard College for participating in the Gaza solidarity protest encampment at Columbia University. The NYPD was called to dismantle the tents set up for the protest, and at least 108 students, including Hirsi, were arrested.
The demonstrations at Ivy League schools have particularly received national attention, along with a crackdown from police and university administrations. Tensions are particularly high at Columbia University following a congressional hearing into accusations of rising antisemitism on the campus since the Hamas-led attacks in October 2023.
The students suspended have demanded that Columbia University ends its relationship with corporations that profit from Israeli "apartheid, genocide, and occupation in Palestine". They have vowed to continue their activism, despite the suspension, and have received support from various quarters, including Ilhan Omar, who stated that given the university's complicity in the Gaza conflict, she felt a responsibility to use her voice and platforms to fight for the cause.
- The Gaza solidarity protests at Columbia University and Barnard College, initially focused on Palestine and Middle East issues, were suspended following a 2024 lawsuit concerning alleged antisemitism and student harassment during pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
- The suspension affected leading student groups, such as Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace, who were accused of organizing protests with antisemitic rhetoric and endorsing violence by Hamas.
- The students involved in these groups have faced criticism, suspension, and potential expulsion, with over 70 students reportedly being affected over recent teach-ins and protests honoring Palestinian figures.
- Notable students among those suspended include Isra Hirsi, daughter of US lawmaker Ilhan Omar, and Soph Dinu, who expressed concerns about the misuse of her Jewish identity by some on the campus.
- The students have expressed opposition to the university actions, viewing them as capitulations to Zionist pressures that threaten legitimate political expression and advocacy for Palestinian rights.
- The students have also demanded that Columbia University end its relationships with corporations profiting from Israeli policies in Palestine, such as apartheid, genocide, and occupation, and have vowed to continue their activism despite the suspension.
- The crackdown on demonstrations has received national attention, particularly at Ivy League schools, with tensions high at Columbia University following a congressional hearing into accusations of rising antisemitism on the campus since the Hamas-led attacks in October 2023.
- Support for the suspended students has come from various quarters, including Ilhan Omar, who stated that given the university's complicity in the Gaza conflict, she felt a responsibility to use her voice and platforms to fight for the cause, emphasizing education-and-self-development, personal-growth, general-news, crime-and-justice, policy-and-legislation, and learning as essential elements for a peaceful and fair resolution to war-and-conflicts in the Middle East.
