NEW YORK: An outspoken pro-Israel professor at Columbia University has been temporarily barred from campus, a university spokesperson said Wednesday.
Shai Davidai, an assistant professor at the Manhattan university’s business school, had his campus access restricted effective Tuesday after repeatedly harassing and intimidating other employees, according to university spokesperson Ben Chang.
Davidai, an Israeli citizen, has been among the most prominent campus critics of pro-Palestinian protests, saying that school officials have not done enough to crack down on the demonstrations, which he views as antisemitic.
He also helped lead pro-Israel counterprotests at Columbia last spring. On X, formerly Twitter, where he has more than 100,000 followers, he has accused pro-Palestinian student groups of supporting terrorism.
Chang said the university has “consistently and continually” respected Davidai’s right to express his views but that the restrictions were a “direct result” of his conduct on Oct. 7, the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel, which sparked the region’s latest conflict.
“His freedom of speech has not been limited and is not being limited now,” he wrote in a statement. “Columbia, however, does not tolerate threats of intimidation, harassment, or other threatening behavior by its employees.”
Davidai didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment, but said on X that the ban was in response to social media videos in which he confronted university officials during pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus.
“He has now retaliated and had me suspended from campus,” Davidai wrote in his Tuesday post, referring to Cas Holloway, the university’s chief operating officer. The post also linked to a video on Instagram that has since been taken down.
“I don’t care about my future. It’s never been about me. I care about @Columbia’s future,” Davidai wrote in another post on X. “I care about what this acceptance of anti-Jewish, anti-Israeli, and anti-American terrorism means for the students on campus. ”
Chang stressed that Davidai, who is not teaching this semester, has not been suspended from his faculty post and that his compensation has not been affected by the disciplinary action.
But he will need to complete a training program on the university’s policies governing employee conduct before having his campus access reinstated, he added.
“Education, training, access restrictions and other measures are available and used by the University when faculty and other employees violate University policy,” Chang said. “As in other cases, our expectation is that Assistant Professor Davidai will successfully complete the training and promptly return to campus.”
Pro-Israel professor at Columbia barred from campus after harassing and intimidating other employees
https://arab.news/rnc3n
Pro-Israel professor at Columbia barred from campus after harassing and intimidating other employees
- Chang said the university has “consistently and continually” respected Davidai’s right to express his views but that the restrictions were a “direct result” of his conduct on Oct. 7
Russia hails ‘record’ Arctic shipping as sanctions pivot trade to Asia
- Competition over Arctic resources has heated up as a warming climate opens up previously iced sea lanes
MURMANSK: Russia on Thursday hailed “record” cargo volumes through its Northern Sea Route, which cuts travel time between Europe and Asia, as Arctic ice melts and helps Moscow redirect trade hit by sanctions over Ukraine.
Before launching his Ukraine offensive, President Vladimir Putin had promoted the Arctic route as a strategic priority, with Russia developing a fleet of eight nuclear icebreaker ships.
“Last year ended with a record, with around 38 million tons,” of cargo shipped via the route, said Alexey Likhachev, director of Russia’s nuclear agency Rosatom, which operates the icebreakers.
Putin was due to address the issue later on Thursday at a forum on Arctic development in the northern Russian port city of Murmansk.
Competition over Arctic resources has heated up as a warming climate opens up previously iced sea lanes.
And US President Donald Trump’s campaign to annex Greenland has also intensified the geopolitical and security dimensions of the tussle for influence in the region.
Moscow has invested heavily in the Northern Sea Route, which can cut travel time for cargo ships by 15 days compared to sailing via the Suez Canal.
Climate change has meant Russia’s nuclear icebreakers can pass along its entire northern coast, though at times with difficulty.
Vladimir Panov, a special representative for Arctic development at Rosatom said Moscow has seen “shippers in summer and autumn redirect their cargoes” via the route to Asia.
“In the last two years, for the first time we have switched to year-round operation of icebreakers,” he said at the forum on Wednesday.
Russia has also clashed with the West over its ambitions for Arctic development.
Foreign ministry official Vladislav Maslennikov on Wednesday accused the West of having a “provocative” Arctic policy.
“Under the guise of protecting the environment and combating climate change, we are witnessing ongoing attempts at de facto unfair competition,” he said.
Despite increasing volumes of cargo transported, Moscow has faced a series of logistical issues on the route.
In 2018 Putin had set a target of 80 million tons a year in annual cargo by 2024.
Washington told EU to brace for more tariffs before any talks, envoys say
- The Commission has tried to launch negotiations to avert additional tariffs
- Washington’s message was that no negotiations would happen until further US tariffs are imposed, the envoys said
BRUSSELS: Washington has told the European Union it should not expect any trade negotiations before the United States has imposed more tariffs on the bloc next week, EU diplomats said on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has already imposed 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, plans an additional 25 percent duty on car imports and intends to announce reciprocal tariffs next Wednesday aimed at the countries he says are responsible for the bulk of the US goods trade deficit.
European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic met US counterparts in Washington this week and EU envoys said Commission officials briefed them on the visit late on Wednesday.
The Commission has tried to launch negotiations to avert additional tariffs, but Washington’s message was that no negotiations would happen until further US tariffs are imposed, the envoys said.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the reciprocal tariffs might be as high as 25 percent, but the level was still not certain.
“It’s just a guess,” one of the sources said.
Washington has five sectors it wants to boost domestically: autos, pharmaceuticals, timber, semiconductors and metals.
In Europe, Washington has been closely eying competition in autos and pharmaceuticals. US President Donald Trump said on Monday he will announce tariffs on automobiles, aluminum and pharmaceuticals in the very near future.
The European Commission has proposed counter-measures on up to $28 billion of US imports as a response to Trump’s metals tariffs. These are likely to be imposed in mid-April. One diplomat said the Commission would present its final counter-measures on April 4.
The Commission said on Thursday it was preparing its response to the new car import duties, but did not provide any timing.
“But I can assure you that it will be timely, that it will be robust, that it will be well calibrated and that it will achieve the intended impact,” a spokesperson said.
From urchins to green caviar, seafood feasts dominate iftars in Philippines’ far south
- Eating seafood is related to traditional lifestyles, which the older generation tries to uphold during Ramadan
- Unlike other provinces in Bangsamoro, Tawi-Tawi chooses shellfish over sweets during the fasting month
MANILA: In Tawi-Tawi, the southernmost and predominantly Muslim province of the Philippines, culinary traditions are deeply embedded in the coastal region’s marine-based economy. During Ramadan, they are on full display as iftars turn into hearty feasts of the freshest and most diverse seafood.
Located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Tawi-Tawi, consists of a group of islands in the Sulu Archipelago, near the maritime borders of Malaysia and Indonesia.
Unlike other provinces in the region, where sweets and meat dishes dominate the iftar table, Tawi-Tawi sets itself apart with shellfish, sea urchins, crabs, algae and sea grapes — edible seaweed that looks like tiny green grapes and is sometimes called “green caviar” or “sea caviar.”
Most of these are typically enjoyed with rice or siyanglag, which is a savory, slightly sweet side dish made from roasted grated cassava mixed with grated coconut.
“That’s the most common iftar here in Tawi-Tawi,” said Laila Aripin, a resident of Bongao, the province’s capital.
“The abundance of seafood during Ramadan is very unique here in Tawi-Tawi compared to other Bangsamoro provinces. Usually, for iftar, we usually boil it or eat raw. Shellfish are just boiled, and we dip them in vinegar or any preferred sauce.”
Sea urchins are the main staple and one of the cheapest, with a portion costing about 35 US cents. Served fresh, they are known as teheh-teheh and are usually accompanied by siyanglag.
Another favorite urchin dish is okoh-okoh, where they are cooked in coconut water with seasoned rice inside.
“Sea urchins are twice as cheap during Ramadan. If you visit the market these days, you’ll find sea urchins and many other harvests from the sea. Some families also serve lobster, especially those who can afford it, particularly in eastern Tawi-Tawi where people cultivate lobsters,” Kin Usman, from the Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, told Arab News.
“It’s really a seafood feast during Ramadan.”
The availability of sea products in the market is also linked to the supply from the Badjao, an indigenous, predominantly Muslim ethnic group known for their expertise in fishing — a central aspect of their traditional livelihoods. According to Usman, during Ramadan, more people want to purchase from them, as a gesture of community self-help.
“You’ll often see our Badjao brothers and sisters selling (seafood), which is why people like us, who are fasting, tend to buy more,” he said. “The supply is truly abundant.”
But the preference for seafood is also related to traditional ways of living, which the older generation tries to revive during Ramadan, a period that is always more reflective.
“When they fast, they tend to look for their original ways of living. They prefer the original foods, their staple foods. Seafood and sea urchins were their staple foods back then,” Usman said.
“Eventually, it was passed down, and it became a norm that during Ramadan there is always seafood on the table.”
Israel arms sales protest interrupts UK trade minister event
- One protester accused the government of being complicit in genocide
- Responding to the protest, Reynolds said Britain had suspended arms exports to Israel
LONDON: British business and trade minister Jonathan Reynolds was on Thursday interrupted by two protesters opposing arms sales to Israel who stormed the stage as he was about to speak at a think-tank event on trade.
“They have not stopped the trade in F-35s,” one individual shouted, referring to F-35 fighter jets. One protester accused the government of being complicit in genocide.
Responding to the protest, Reynolds said Britain had suspended arms exports to Israel.
“We haven’t suspended F-35s because they’re integral to our national security and particularly the defense of Ukraine,” he said.
US drops bounties on top Afghan Taliban officials
- Taliban leaders remain on Washington’s list of ‘specially designated global terrorists’ but the bounty price has been scrapped
- Sirajuddin Haqqani had long been one of Washington’s most important targets, with a $10 million bounty on his head
KABUL: The United States has removed multimillion-dollar bounties on leaders of Afghanistan’s feared Haqqani militant network, including the current Taliban interior minister, the State Department and the Taliban government said.
The Haqqani network was responsible for some of the deadliest attacks during the decades-long war in Afghanistan.
The men remain on Washington’s list of “specially designated global terrorists” but the bounty price has been scrapped.
Taliban interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said that Washington had “canceled rewards” for Sirajuddin Haqqani – who also heads the Haqqani network – as well as other key leaders, Abdul Aziz Haqqani and Yahya Haqqani.
Sirajuddin Haqqani had long been one of Washington’s most important targets, with a $10 million bounty on his head.
The US State Department said that “the three persons named remain designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), and the Haqqani Network remains designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a SDGT.”
But while the wanted page remains active, the bounty on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) website has been removed.
“It is the policy of the United States to consistently review and refine Rewards for Justice reward offers,” a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The bounty cancelation came days after the first visit by US officials to Afghanistan since President Donald Trump returned to office, and the announcement afterwards of the release of a US citizen by Taliban authorities.
US-based Afghan political analyst Abdul Wahed Faqiri said that the bounty removal is likely “largely symbolic” but a way for the United States to “give credit to Sirajuddin Haqqani,” seen as an emerging more moderate “alternative.”
Media reports talk of increasing tensions between the “pragmatic” Haqqani figures and a more hardline circle around Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, who vie for influence within the government.
Despite the US bounty and international travel bans, Sirajuddin Haqqani has traveled outside Afghanistan multiple times since the Taliban government swept back to power in 2021.
The government in Kabul is not recognized by any country and has expressed hopes for “a new chapter” with Trump’s administration.
Trump signed a peace deal with the Taliban during his first term in office, that paved the way for the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and their return to power.
