‘Ain’t enough’: Columbia University professor Shai Davidai’s temporary campus ban draws mixed reactions

Columbia University assistant professor Shai Davidai, who has been accused of harassment by many pro-Palestinian students since the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel, has restricted access to his campus for “repeatedly” harassing and intimidating university employees, he said. the university at Middle East Eye.

While there have been many complaints from pro-Palestinian students against the Israeli professor, the university’s decision to restrict his access to campus comes after incidents involving university employees.

“Columbia has consistently and continuously respected Assistant Professor Davidai’s right to freedom of speech and expression of opinion,” university spokesperson Millie Wert told MEE via email.

“His freedom of expression has not been restricted and will not be restricted now. However, Columbia will not tolerate threats of harassment, intimidation or other threatening behavior from its employees.”

The university said they have “temporarily restricted his access to campus while he undergoes appropriate training on our employee conduct policies.”

Davidai announced the university’s decision to deny him access to campus in a video posted to his Instagram account on Tuesday.

In the video, he said his lawyer told him that “the university has decided not to allow me to be on campus anymore. My job. Why? Because of October 7th. Because I wasn’t afraid to stand up to the hateful crowd. And because I wasn’t afraid to expose that damn Cas Holloway.’

Davidai says he was suspended for posting multiple videos to .

“Because I posted those videos and now everyone knows Cas Holloway’s name and Bobby Lau’s name, they’re getting revenge. They don’t like to be exposed,” Davidai said.

In a video posted to But you know what, there were so many useless administrators in Nazi Germany, and you know what? After the war they said they had done everything they could.”

He also posted the video response to the university’s decision on could tell him exactly what you think of him.”

Cas Holloway is a small man with a big ego and a smug smile.

Luckily, he has an email where you can tell him exactly what you think of him.

This is his email: (email protected)https://t.co/qjz5kqt3Lb

— Shai Davidai (@ShaiDavidai) October 16, 2024

During the Columbia protest strike, in which Davidai is accused of harassing Columbia employees, a video on

This is so funny. He keeps running straight into people and then yells at campus security that he’s going to be elbowed. You have to remember that this is a man who went on 60 Minutes to discuss anti-Semitism on college campuses.

pic.twitter.com/cmK3RXjGgP

— k-von (@never_oppressed) October 10, 2024

Students and teachers remember experiences with Davidai

Many students have shared on their social media accounts about their own experiences with Davidai, dating back to the fall 2023 semester.

The majority of the complaints occurred in April during the Gaza solidarity encampment in Columbia, which he repeatedly tried to enter, but the grievances continued into the new school year.

Davidai dubbed pro-Palestinian students “the Hitler Youth” in April and used his social media accounts – where he has more than 100,000 followers – to repeatedly call for the inclusion of the US National Guard in the protest camp.

Shai Davidai demands that the NATIONAL GUARD come in to disperse the Gaza Solidarity Camp by force. How on earth does this man still have a job? pic.twitter.com/5ube62oEwC

— Victims of Capitalism Memorial Foundation (@karaokecomputer) April 19, 2024

Layla, a Palestinian student at Columbia, posted Tuesday that Davidai had been targeting her for months.

The Columbia business professor who attacked me for months, retweeted inappropriate comments about my body, and claimed I was part of Hamas when we evacuated my family from Gaza (we’re Palestinian Christians) has now been banned from Columbia’s campus for harassment .

— Layla 🪬 (@itslaylas) October 15, 2024

Another student, Maryam Iqbal, accused Davidai of “stalking” her.

Shai Davidai is so dedicated to stalking me that he just subscribed to a newsletter I wrote a few times this summer that only has about 1,000 subscribers. I don’t know how to describe how weird this level of obsession towards a Columbia student is, let alone a 19 year old girl. pic.twitter.com/60HqNhGiAg

— maryam مريم🇵🇸🍁 (@bluepashminas) October 15, 2024

Former faculty member Mohamed Abdou — who found out he had been “fired” from the university while watching Columbia’s House anti-Semitism hearing in Congress in April — has also taken to his social media accounts to talk about his experiences with Davidai .

“Shai not only harassed and endangered students, but also staff/faculty like me,” he wrote on X. “He composed entire (X threads) about me and tagged FBI and homeland security.”

Others and he paved the way for Elon Musk, David Rubin, Jesse Waters, etc. to tweet at me and put together actual videos aimed at getting me to publicly expose myself to death threats and proudly boys chased me down the street and eventually I have to leave the US. /2 pic.twitter.com/8vlu4Bss6F

—Dr. مُحَمَّد (@minuetinGmajor) October 16, 2024

Columbia did not directly address MEE’s questions about whether the allegations of student harassment were investigated before restricting campus access, or whether they had any input into the university’s decision.

A Columbia University official told MEE that the access restriction was a direct result of Davidai’s conduct on October 7, 2024, for harassing university employees in violation of university policy.

“This is not about one isolated incident or one individual employee,” she added.

At the time of the pro-Palestinian encampment in the spring, Columbia responded to his repeated attempts to enter the camp by restricting his access to campus.

Clip of Shai realizing his Columbia ID was deactivated as COO Cas Holloway watched. https://t.co/yguWcCDuiD pic.twitter.com/c5uVbitWvt

— Talia Jane ❤️‍🔥 (@taliaotg) April 22, 2024

This incident was followed by Davidai organizing a counter-protest outside the school grounds.

“We’re not doing well right now.”

Pro-Israel assistant professor at Columbia Business School Shai Davidai, who urged the National Guard to disperse the encampment two days ago, expresses the disruption by the Gaza Solidarity Camp.https://t.co/HwbLXNHKdH pic.twitter.com/8JU38O2iOm

— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) April 22, 2024

During the spring semester of 2024, there were calls from on and off campus for Columbia to fire Davidai. A petition filed at that time currently has more than 13,300 signatures.

Reactions to the decision

In addition to those who have spoken about their experiences with Davidai, social media has been awash with celebratory language — and plenty of memes — about the university’s decision.

Happy Shai Davidai has been banned from Columbia University’s campus for intimidation day for anyone celebrating

— Read Rent Abolition (@JoshuaPHilll) October 15, 2024

Shai Davidai may have blocked me on Twitter, but only one of us is blocked on Columbia’s campus 😂

— Remi Kanazi (@Remroum) October 16, 2024

One X user hopes this will have a lasting impact on campus.

My hope that Shai Davidai is banned from Columbia’s campus is that the student Zionists will take their cues from him, feel emboldened to terrorize their fellow students, find fewer irrational role models to emulate, and take up some non-toxic hobbies .

— Talia Jane ❤️‍🔥 (@taliaotg) October 16, 2024

For those who support Davidai, news of his temporary campus ban is considered a violation of the First Amendment.

“Columbia seems to like freedom of speech UNLESS that speech does NOT support violence and anti-Semitism,” one person posted on X.

BREAK: @columbia bans a Jewish Israeli professor from campus as punishment for speaking out and condemning students who celebrated terrorism on their campus.

Columbia seems to like freedom of speech UNLESS that speech does NOT support violence and anti-Semitism. https://t.co/YEVpIiQy62

— Tali Goldsheft (@TaliGoldsheft) October 16, 2024

Another social media user posted that Columbia’s decision was “Nazi Germany type stuff.”

So instead of banning the people who cheer for Hamas, the literal PFLP members (a designated terrorist organization), and all Muslim Brotherhood actors on college campuses, @Columbia the Jew forbids.

Amazing. That’s Nazi Germany-like stuff

— Angela Van Der Pluym (@anjewla90) October 16, 2024

While many online view the university’s decision as a positive step, they remain critical of Columbia for taking a year to do so.

A year late, but welcome nonetheless.

Davidai is one of the most hateful, ridiculous public figures to emerge since October 7.

A screaming Islamophobic prince, suspended in a permanent state of hysteria, who became the diaper-wearing mascot of McCarthyism on the new campus. https://t.co/9Z3ZScLrwk

— Dan Sheehan (@danpjsheehan) October 16, 2024

One person felt “justice was served” after allegedly experiencing harassment by Davidai.

Memes and video clips aside, Shai Davidai being banned from Columbia’s campus is justice for the Palestinian diaspora and pro-Palestinian students at Columbia.

Shai has stalked, insulted, and harassed children, personally attacked me and my heritage, and has done everything in his power to…

— Abdelhalim Abdelrahman- عبد الحليم عبد الرحمن (@AbdelA1924) October 16, 2024

Amid celebratory messages from students and their supporters, many have pointed out that this decision did not come in response to his treatment of students.

The craziest thing about Shai Davidai’s banishment from campus is that it wasn’t because he spent a year harassing and deceiving students and their families. It was for harassing the CU administrator.

Never forget for a second that Columbia doesn’t give a damn about their students.

— ايدن 🔻 (@allegedlyaidan) October 16, 2024

One X user posted that restricting Davidai’s access to campus is “not enough.”

“He needs to be fired @Columbia. You can’t hire a stalker.”