Columbia President Resigns, Attributes Decision Partly to Gaza Protests

Columbia University president Minouche Shafik announced her resignation in an email to the Columbia community Wednesday evening, citing the "turmoil" of student protests against the Israel-Hamas war as a major factor in her decision.

Key Quote: “This period has taken a considerable toll on my family, as it has for others in our community,” wrote Shafik in her email. “Over the summer, I have been able to reflect and have decided that my moving on at this point would best enable Columbia to traverse the challenges ahead.”

For Context: Shafik's presidency lasted just over a year, during which the Gaza war sparked a raucous student protest movement and raised tensions between some Jewish students and the protestors. She was among the major university presidents who faced pointed questions from Republican lawmakers at a congressional hearing in December; their answers prompted a backlash that drove one of them to resign. The protests later crescendoed chaotically in April.

How the Media Covered It: Times of Israel (Center bias) wrote that the protests were an "epicenter of unrest" that "convulsed" Columbia's campus. Newsmax (Right) used a more dramatic tone, noting that the protests had resulted in “thousands arrested and end-of-year graduation ceremonies disrupted.” New York Times (Lean Left) wrote that the resignation “underscores how profoundly pro-Palestinian demonstrations shook her campus and universities across the country.”