Columbia students once rallied against Nazis — now they cheer for them

Nearly a period ago, Columbia students staged wide protests against the university’s affable relations with Nazi Germany. Today, Columbia students are protesting successful enactment of Hamas terrorists who mimic the Nazis. How did this unusual relation reversal travel about?

In December 1933, Columbia president Nicholas Murray Butler invited the Nazi German ambassador to the United States, Hans Luther, to talk connected campus. Students staged a immense protestation rally against Luther. 

Some years ago, I interviewed 1 of those protesters. Nancy Wechsler — aboriginal a distinguished Manhattan lawyer — told me: “Hitler had been successful powerfulness for astir a twelvemonth already — capable was known astir his totalitarian and anti-Semitic policies that his typical should not person been welcomed connected campus.” It was astatine the anti-Luther objection that Nancy met her aboriginal husband, James Wechsler, exertion of the pupil newspaper, the Columbia Daily Spector. He would aboriginal service arsenic exertion of the New York Post.

President Butler shrugged disconnected the protests. Ambassador Luther represented “the authorities of a affable people” and truthful was “entitled to beryllium received . . . with the top courtesy and respect,” helium insisted. Butler claimed the protests were themselves a signifier of “persecution.” 

Columbia continued to prosecute affable relations with Nazi Germany, arsenic Stephen Norwood recounted successful his study, “The Third Reich successful the Ivory Tower.” The assemblage participated successful pupil exchanges with Nazi Germany — adjacent aft a Nazi authoritative boasted his country’s students were being sent overseas to service arsenic “political soldiers of the Reich.”

In 1936, Columbia took portion successful the 550th day solemnisation astatine Germany’s University of Heidelberg, adjacent though Heidelberg had been purged of Jewish faculty, instituted a Nazi program and had hosted a burning of books by Jewish authors. Columbia’s delegate to the event, Prof. Arthur Remy, gushed astir the “very enjoyable” reception, hosted by Nazi propaganda curate Josef Goebbels.

Meanwhile, backmost successful Morningside Heights, much than 1,000 Columbia students and module signed a petition opposing the university’s information successful Heidelberg. Students staged a mock publication burning with posters declaring “Butler Diddles While the Books Burn.” They besides protested successful beforehand of Butler’s mansion. The medication responded by permanently expelling rally person Robert Burke from the university, for the transgression of having “delivered a code successful which helium referred to the President [Butler] disrespectfully.” 

Now the roles person been turned connected their heads. Today, Columbia students outcry “We are Hamas!,” embracing Palestinian terrorists who openly respect and mimic the Nazis. The killers who burned, beheaded and raped Jews successful confederate Israel past Oct. 7 were pursuing successful Hitler’s footsteps — Arabic-language copies of Adolf Hitler’s manifesto, “Mein Kampf,” person been recovered successful Hamas hideouts. The Columbia extremists present chanting “Burn Tel Aviv!” would similar the Nazi-like slaughter extended to Israel’s different cities.

Columbia’s timid argumentation of negotiating with the extremists is portion of the problem. But module bias is the basal origin of the crisis. Just weeks aft the Oct. 7 pogrom, 179 Columbia professors signed an unfastened missive defending the Hamas horrors arsenic “armed absorption by an occupied people” — adjacent though Israel withdrew each of its soldiers from Gaza much than 18 years ago.

Nearly one-fourth of the signatories thatch past astatine Columbia, galore specializing successful Middle East Studies. Almost each the others are successful fields specified arsenic governmental science, anthropology, oregon media studies, wherever Middle East issues often arise. Dozens of arrogant Hamas supporters are present teaching their twisted mentation of past successful Columbia’s classrooms. If students are taught Israel is evil and Arab terrorists are heroes, it’s lone a substance of clip earlier they are marching crossed campus, shouting their emotion for Hamas and their hatred of Jews. Clearly that clip is now.

How should today’s Columbia medication code the existent crisis? First, by facing its past: admit its mistake successful befriending Nazi Germany; grant Robert Burke a posthumous degree; and region Nicholas Murray Butler’s sanction from the Columbia University room — conscionable arsenic it precocious removed the sanction of notorious racist and eugeniscist Edward Thorndike from different field building.

Of course, those gestures volition not remedy the existent situation. For that, the Columbia medication needs to dainty pro-Hamas protesters precisely arsenic it undoubtedly would dainty achromatic supremacist students shouting “We are the Ku Klux Klan” oregon “Burn Harlem” — by expelling the leaders, suspending the participants and disciplining module members who assistance and abet them.

Dr. Medoff is founding manager of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies and writer of much than 20 books astir Jewish past and the Holocaust.