Jewish Democrat compares Columbia protesters to White nationalists at Charlottesville: 'Same message'
Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz compared antisemitic threats Columbia University protesters made against Jews to similar rhetoric from White nationalists at Charlottesville in 2017.
"We were mad years ago when we saw Charlottesville and ‘Jews will not replace us’ and Donald Trump saying ‘Good people on both sides’ or ‘Mexicans are rapists,’ right? But somehow we don‘t have the same anger of, ‘Go back to Poland,'" Moskowitz said on CNN.
"It's the same message, which is, ‘Jews are not welcome,'" he continued.
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Moskowitz recounted what he witnessed while touring Columbia on Monday. He said protesters were targeting Jewish students and that there was "almost no security" inside the school walls.
"They have completely lost control of the situation," he said.
University President Minouche Shafik announced on Tuesday that the school would "not tolerate intimidating, harassing, or discriminatory behavior" and canceled in-person classes for the remainder of the semester.
Moskowitz said Jewish families told him they were upset at the school because they felt they were being treated differently than other minority groups on campus.
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If this was another minority group being threatened, parents believe the protests wouldn't have lasted past the first day, Moskowitz said.
"At the end of the day, we’re looked at differently, and that’s why universities have struggled with this," he added.
The Florida Democrat defended protesters' right to freedom of speech but said hate speech was "not protected" speech on campus.
"I know the people saying this aren‘t White, Aryan males with tiki torches, but they have the same message," he said, comparing the situation to Charlottesville.
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Moskowitz acknowledged that not all protesters are saying pushing that rhetoric but said students and faculty are still allowing demonstrators to come onto campus, hold up Hamas flags and spew antisemitic rhetoric.
"It's the same message, which is, ‘Jews are not welcome,'" he continued.
Moskowitz, and other Democrats like Sen. John Fetterman, have joined Republicans in condemning the antisemitic demonstrations at Columbia.
Early Wednesday, a university campus spokesperson released a statement saying university officials and protest organizers were hashing out agreements for a deadline to clear encampments on campus.
Fox News' Landon Mion contributed to this report.