Latest News from Campus

Cornell Graduate Students United voted to adopt an “International Solidarity with the Palestinian Liberation Struggle” statement that endorses the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, urges members to reject funding tied to U.S. and Israeli militaries, and calls on the university to disclose and divest from “morally reprehensible” investments. The statement also affirms Palestinians’ right to “resist oppression by any means necessary,” language that Grinspoon Hillel at Cornell and the Jewish Graduate Student Association say introduces “hate and division” on campus, and creates a hostile climate for all students, including Jewish and Israeli graduate students.

Northwestern University agreed to pay the federal government $75 million over three years to restore nearly $790 million in frozen federal research funds and end a government antisemitism investigation. The university also agreed to strengthen protections for Jewish students, review international admissions, and provide training on campus norms.

Israeli basketball player Yarden Garzon plays for the Maryland Terrapins while balancing campus life and keeping in touch with her family in Israel, including her twin sister. While the distance has taken an emotional toll, Yarden leans on Maryland Hillel for support and connection.

Columbia University rejected three anti-Israel divestment proposals submitted by students, faculty, and staff. The university’s Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing said the proposals, submitted in December 2024, were too broad, impractical, or lacked sufficient consensus. The committee noted it rejected similar divestment efforts earlier this year.

University College London (UCL) reopened an investigation into a student who reportedly told a Jewish peer that the October 7, 2023 attacks were “justified and reasonable,” and that “Hamas is not a terrorist organization.” Initially, UCL declined to take disciplinary action, citing freedom of speech policy, but reversed course and apologized after media coverage and pressure.

A U.S. district court judge blocked the federal government from cutting funding to or fining the University of California system over accusations of antisemitism. Judge Rita Lin said the administration’s actions were “coercive” and “in violation of the First Amendment and Tenth Amendment.”