Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota visited anti-Israel protesters on the campus of Columbia University in New York on Thursday and said she was in “awe” of them.
The demonstrators formed an encampment on the Ivy League school’s campus in Manhattan last week, and they’ve been disruptive since then.
On April 18, more than 100 were arrested – including Omar's 21-year-old daughter, Isra Hirsi – but as of Friday, chaos reigned at Columbia.
The pro-Hamas antagonists have been so threatening that many Jewish students have said they are afraid to go to class -- and a rabbi warned them to leave campus for their own safety.
Instead of protecting them, the university announced this week that they can study virtually for the rest of the spring semester.
In a social media post on Thursday, Omar -- a member of the so-called squad of far-left House Democrats -- described the protesters' actions as courageous.
According to the congresswoman, the demonstrators are not a threat to anyone but are merely “anti-war” and opposing “genocide” in Gaza.
“I had the honor of seeing the Columbia University anti-war encampment firsthand," she said in a post on X.
“Contrary to right-wing attacks, these students are joyfully protesting for peace and an end to the genocide taking place in Gaza,” Omar said.
“I’m in awe of their bravery and courage," she concluded.
I had the honor of seeing the Columbia University anti-war encampment firsthand.
Contrary to right-wing attacks, these students are joyfully protesting for peace and an end to the genocide taking place in Gaza.
I’m in awe of their bravery and courage. pic.twitter.com/yC6hcBMwCP
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) April 25, 2024
The congresswoman accompanied the post with a 20-second video clip of her shaking hands with several of the demonstrators at Columbia.
Omar, a Somali-born Muslim, has faced anti-Semitism accusations throughout her tenure in the House.
While she had nothing for praise for the anti-Israel protests, some Jewish students have a different perspective.
Itai Driefuss, an Israeli military veteran and Columbia student, told Fox News on Thursday that many Jewish students at the school are afraid to be out in public after dark.
"I've had a friend who was beaten up," Driefuss told the network. "It's scary. It's violent."
The distressed student added, "You had Jewish people holding up the American and Israeli flag, and people were holding up a sign that says, ‘Al-Quds next target…’ It's the same people who do bus bombings and rape women and put babies in an oven."
Earlier this week, Columbia's chapter of the Jewish student group Chabad urged the school's Jewish enrollees to stand against fear.
"In times like these, we’re reminded of the enduring spirit of our people, a spirit that has persisted through the generations, including ours — the current link in an unbroken chain since Sinai," the group said in a statement on Sunday.
"After leaving Egypt, our ancestors stood before the daunting Red Sea with the Egyptian army bearing down from behind them," it said. "In that pivotal moment, Nachshon stepped forward with unwavering faith, walking into the waters until they parted before him."
