Columbia president assailed at highly charged antisemitism Congress hearing

Minouche Shafik appeared beleaguered as House members grilled her over reported upsurge in antisemitism on campus

The head of a prestigious US university clashed with members of Congress today in highly charged hearings over a reported upsurge in antisemitism on campus in the wake of Israel's war in Gaza.

Minouche Shafik, the president of Columbia University, appeared beleaguered and uncertain as one Congress member after another assailed her over her institution's supposed inaction to stop it becoming what one called a hotbed of antisemitism and hatred".

This article was amended on 17 April 2024 to correctly identify the school where Elizabeth Magill resigned as president last year. The school was the University of Pennsylvania, not Pennsylvania University.