Columbia University’s freshly appointed president is already encountering backlash from critics opposing Israel, who are reproaching her for her previous actions against leftist protests at her former institution.
“Columbia has just introduced Jennifer Mnookin as its new leader,” declared CU Apartheid Divest, an unofficial group at Columbia, on X. “During her tenure as chancellor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, she dispatched riot police to dismantle and detain students involved in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. She appears to align seamlessly with the school’s existing authoritarian administration.”
In May 2024, Mnookin authorized the police to dismantle encampments established by the radical left-wing groups Students for Justice in Palestine and Wisconsin Young Democratic Socialists of America. These groups were advocating for divestment from Israel, as reported by The Daily Cardinal, the University of Wisconsin—Madison’s student newspaper.
The incident, characterized as a “raid” by the newspaper, saw thirty-four individuals apprehended. Most were promptly cited and released, and the encampment was quickly reestablished on the following day.
Jennifer Mnookin attended the UCLA Black Law: 50th Anniversary Solidarity Gala at The Beverly Hills Hotel on April 4, 2019, in Beverly Hills, California. (Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
The Ivy League institution’s board of trustees announced on Sunday that Mnookin will succeed the interim head, Claire Shipman, starting July 1. The search for a new president was initiated last April following Minouche Shafik’s resignation amid disputes related to anti-Israel demonstrations and encampments.
“Jennifer will be an exceptional leader for Columbia’s future,” said David J. Greenwald and Jeh C. Johnson, co-chairs of the Columbia University Board of Trustees. “She is a distinguished scholar who now leads a complex institution with clarity and vision. She understands the essential role that higher education and research play in advancing knowledge, serving the public good, and addressing our most pressing challenges.”
“She is also a keen listener who builds consensus and does not shy away from making difficult decisions when necessary,” Greenwald and Johnson continued. “As president, she will lead Columbia forward with strength and a firm commitment to the University’s cherished values.”
A demonstrator protests outside the encampment established in support of Palestinians in Gaza at Columbia University on April 29, 2024, in New York City. (Alex Kent/Getty Images)
“I am honored and thrilled to join Columbia University at this important moment,” Mnookin said upon her appointment. “Columbia is defined by rigorous scholarship, a deep commitment to open inquiry, world-class patient care, and an inseparable and enduring connection to New York City, the greatest city in the world.”
She sent her first message to students on Monday.
“The last several years have been challenging ones for higher education, certainly including Columbia,” Mnookin reportedly wrote in an email. “Having had the privilege for the past few years of leading a public flagship university in a complex time, I well understand the significant uncertainties and heightened scrutiny many universities are now facing.”
Columbia University students participate in an anti-Israel encampment on their campus on April 25, 2024, in New York City. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
Last July, Columbia reached a more than $200 million settlement with the Trump administration over discrimination against Jewish students on campus.
“I’m very pleased that we were able to bring those negotiations to a close and have an excellent working agreement now with Columbia. They knew they had an antisemitism problem,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said at the time.
Columbia did not immediately return a request for comment.
