President Donald Trump's administration has canceled funds and contracts worth a total of $400 million for Columbia University in New York, due to its "inaction on the ongoing persecution of Jewish students," the General Services Administration (GSA) announced Friday.
The US government said the cancelled funds would be deducted from projects worth a total of $5 billion earmarked for Columbia University. The announcement was made through a joint statement from the Department of Justice, the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, reports A2.
Columbia University became the epicenter of campus protests, during which demonstrators demanded an end to American support for Israel, due to civilian deaths and the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's military operation in Gaza.
There were accusations of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia during the protests and counter-protests. Columbia University has previously said it has made efforts to counter anti-Semitism.
"The cancellation of these taxpayer funds is our strongest signal yet that the federal government will not side with an educational institution like Columbia that fails to protect Jewish students and employees," said Leo Terrell, head of the Justice Department's anti-Semitism task force.
It was not immediately clear which specific projects and funds are being canceled./ Voice of America (A2 Televizion)
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