Columbia Faculty Oppose Planned Israel Center Because of ‘Human Rights.’ The School’s China Center Gets a Pass.

A group of faculty members at Columbia University are protesting against the proposed Global Center in Tel Aviv citing human rights concerns in Israel but have not raised similar concerns about human rights abuses in China by the university’s Beijing Center.

Ninety-five faculty members have signed a letter opposing the Global Center due to concerns over human rights violations and free speech, but a larger letter in favor of the center has also been signed, according to the New York Times.

The anti-Israel letter, which was first circulated by law professor Katherine Franke, accuses the state of Israel of disregarding international human rights laws and norms, both domestically and in its treatment of Palestinians, as reported by the Columbia Spectator.

The letter in support of the Israel center states that the university has centers in other countries such as China, Jordan, and Turkey, which have human rights controversies of their own, and are ranked lower than Israel on the Freedom House democracy index. It would, therefore, be considered discrimination to apply a different standard to Israel, according to the letter signed by 172 faculty members.

Law professor Katherine Franke told the Washington Free Beacon that she opposes the Tel Aviv center because it would conform to Israel’s apartheid policies, thereby implicating Columbia in that illegal regime. Although Franke has not objected to the university’s centers in China, Jordan, and Turkey, as they act as a refuge for local academics and students against their repressive governments, she believes there is no need for such a safe haven in Israel, as there has been no domestic call for it.

Columbia has maintained its center in Beijing even after the United States declared China’s imprisonment of over a million Uyghurs as genocide. In August, the United Nations declared China’s activities as “may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity,” according to the Washington Free Beacon.

Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger expressed satisfaction over the planned Tel Aviv center in a statement on Monday. The new center will provide an opportunity for Columbia to connect with individuals and institutions in Israel and draw them closer to the university’s ongoing activities, he said.