WASHINGTON April 29. 2024 (Saba) - Chairman of Columbia University in New York Nemat Shafik has confirmed the failure of negotiations with the students on the university campus supportin Gaza, which has been subjected to a devastating Zionist war for months, assuring that Zionist investments will not be withdrawn.
"The rights of one group to express their opinions do not come at the expense of the right of another group to speak, teach and learn,"Shafik said in a letter to the protesting university students and professors, published via the official website of the University.
"Our values and obligations under civil rights laws compel us to condemn hatred and protect everyone in our society from harassment and discrimination," she said, adding that "anti-Semitic language and actions are unacceptable, and calls for violence are simply abhorrent," according to her claim.
In her letter, Shafik exaggerated in courting and expressing sympathy for Jewish members of the university community, including teachers and students, who, according to her, were hurt by these sit-ins, whether in terms of hindering their right to learn or depriving them of rest due to the "noisy" movement.
"Since Wednesday, a small group of academics have held a constructive dialogue with the students organizing the sit-in to reach an agreement to dismantle the camp while adhering to the University's policies in the future,"she continued.
According to Shafik, although "the two sides put forward strong and thoughtful offers and worked in good faith to reach common ground, unfortunately, we were unable to reach an agreement".
"While the university will not withdraw its investments from Israel, it has offered to set an accelerated schedule for reviewing new proposals submitted by students by the socially responsible investment advisory committee, the body that considers disinvestment issues, "she said.
"The university also offered to publish a process for students to access the list of direct investment properties in Columbia, increasing the frequency of its updates,"she added.
"The university has offered to make investments in the fields of Health and education in Gaza, including support for early childhood development and support for displaced scientists," Shafik said.
Shafiq urged the protesters in the camp to disperse voluntarily, announcing "consultation with a wider group in the university community to find alternative options to end the crisis as soon as possible".
H.H
resource : Saba
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