Rebel News Podcast - EZRA LEVANT ｜ What’s going on at Columbia University？ Ezra tries to find out.

00:00:00.000 Tonight what the heck's going on at Columbia University it's April 24th and

00:00:20.000 this is the Ezra LeVant show oh hi everybody as you can tell I am in New York City you can tell

00:00:40.700 because it's a mix of good and bad the extremes of the world wealth and poverty sickness and

00:00:45.880 health it's also a Jewish city it has the largest Jewish population of any city in the world with

00:00:52.040 the exception of Tel Aviv in Israel itself and that's reflected in many of the institutions for

00:00:57.920 example here at Columbia University you just happen upon a major building called Alfred Lerner Hall who

00:01:06.280 was Alfred Lerner I have no idea I googled him he was a Jewish businessman who became a philanthropist

00:01:12.520 so many of the things in many of the universities in New York are sponsored by Jewish donors recently

00:01:19.900 there have been other donors to American universities including the dictatorship of Qatar which has helped

00:01:26.560 pave the way for some of the woke studies but the reason I mentioned Alfred Lerner Hall is because I

00:01:31.720 wonder what Alfred Lerner would think if he were alive today to see the incredible anti-semitic well I

00:01:38.860 think pogrom is the closest word I mean there there haven't been mass beatings but there have

00:01:44.620 been some assaults you basically have well I would say brown shirt marches but instead of brown shirts

00:01:51.640 they're wearing Hamas masks they're they're using some of the same chants they don't say death to

00:01:56.680 the Jews they're slightly more sophisticated they talk about the Zionists of course Zionism is a central

00:02:03.460 tenet of Judaism that Mount Zion that Israel is the Jewish holy land I just arrived here moments ago I

00:02:11.200 haven't even gone in but I wanted to stop and talk about the fact that we are going to what is perhaps

00:02:17.080 the most anti-semitic university in America that also happened to be built with Jewish donations I find 0.87

00:02:24.100 that endlessly paradoxical I want to point out one last thing before we enter sort of the compound of

00:02:30.580 of Columbia the Columbia climate school I shouldn't laugh that's a real thing millions of dollars and I

00:02:40.240 remarked sardonically but perhaps I perhaps I mean it maybe if the destruction of American universities

00:02:50.200 is heralded by this open anti-semitism and and these near riots maybe it's not quite the loss it would have

00:02:57.980 been 30 years ago or 50 years ago maybe the world can do without graduates of the Columbia climate

00:03:04.940 school I checked the tuition for this place on my way over it's about 70,000 US dollars or about a

00:03:11.900 hundred thousand Canadian dollars per year to get a degree in climatology or sociology or really grievance

00:03:21.680 studies these are my thoughts before I enter I just had to stop and give you my opening thoughts

00:03:26.780 when I saw what I I know is commonplace in this university Jewish donors let's see what was done 1.00

00:03:32.660 with the fruits of their donation we're gonna go in and see what we see it's daytime New York is a

00:03:37.520 lively place I don't expect there'll be any problems or any violence it'll be interesting to see if police

00:03:43.400 allow us into the core like I say I'm learning along with you I literally just got here let's go inside

00:03:48.740 I'm standing at the gates of Columbia again I've just walked the block in from where I said hello

00:03:54.620 to you there's a big lock on the gates now there appear to be students in there I spoke to a security

00:03:59.360 guard who says yeah these are the students who are actually attending class it's not the entire

00:04:04.520 university that's in a Marxist Islamist protest but just to stop outside interlopers for coming they

00:04:11.600 locked it up right across the street if we turn the camera around there's 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 almost 20

00:04:18.800 cops they don't seem to be particularly active I think they're just here as a deterrent effect I

00:04:24.860 understand that the encampment which is not in the heart of the university I learned has been given until

00:04:30.440 Friday night to disperse we're gonna keep wandering around that's all I'm doing here I've not actually gone

00:04:34.760 any further than a block in from when I first said hello we're just trying to see what's going on on the

00:04:40.040 ground I'm wandering around learning as I go telling you what I see another gate locked down

00:04:45.440 to stop the ingress and egress of protesters those apparently are students there I see that the

00:04:51.740 police are they're not just standing there they're getting ready look at these NYPD you can see the

00:04:57.560 markings there these are barriers I understand that the protesters came here yesterday and the police

00:05:03.680 were not ready so they're being ready this time but let me show you a juxtaposition of what I

00:05:08.120 mentioned at the very beginning you see on the flagpole here it says we find a way Mount Sinai now

00:05:15.500 Mount Sinai of course is a reference to the Jewish Bible that's if my theology is right where Moses got

00:05:21.140 the Ten Commandments it's also been the name for various Jewish hospitals in North America I don't know if

00:05:28.580 you know this but almost a hundred years ago in North America there was a quota to keep Jews out of

00:05:35.420 medical school and other professional schools sort of like Asian kids now have to have a higher SAT score

00:05:41.120 back then they only had a limited number of Jews who were allowed into school and that was in Canada

00:05:46.340 to McGill had what they called the numerous clauses they they they limited the number of Jews there so

00:05:52.460 the Jews set up their own hospitals because they couldn't get into med school and then they couldn't get

00:05:56.800 into the hospital so the Jews set up Mount Sinai and to this day obviously Jews can go to med school

00:06:02.900 anywhere now and you don't just have to be Jewish to go to Mount Sinai you never had to be but that

00:06:07.840 Mount Sinai Hospital the name Mount Sinai is a symbol of discrimination in the past that the Jews overcame in

00:06:16.420 North America and give back to the community Mount Sinai Hospital but look behind it there's a there's a

00:06:23.420 Palestinian flag flying from a standard I'm not sure what building that is isn't that the transition

00:06:30.820 here the Jews brought scholarship and philanthropy and a medical school and hospitals and so far the

00:06:37.920 contribution from the Palestinians on Colombia seems to be a lot of protests a lot of violence and a lot of

00:06:45.100 anti-semitism I'm open to learning more and we will as we continue our journey

00:06:50.100 we still actually haven't been to the protest area we're just spelunking we're exploring but you can

00:07:03.180 see that the police are setting up for what they anticipate will be a protest they handle all these

00:07:08.040 barriers and they're putting them up as we speak I'm not sure if that's just a precaution or if they have

00:07:13.960 any particular intel but there are a lot of police they're very looking alert and lively and we'll be

00:07:21.960 here to cover it I'm I'm I'm from Canada how you doing who are you with rebel news oh we're not

00:07:29.380 interested what's that just not interested chatting with the verbal news okay fight for Worldwide Intifada

00:07:34.960 communist USA.org only a revolution can end imperialism we are America's communist generation

00:07:42.960 it's very capitalist of you it's very capitalist can I ask why you don't want to even engage with me even

00:07:54.960 your own point of view like why don't you want to tell me what you stand for you can ask I'm not

00:07:59.960 going to tell you okay well what do you stand for like can I ask what why you're here the thing is

00:08:05.960 with the media outlets like rebel news is I'll say something if it doesn't make me look like an idiot

00:08:10.960 it won't be published you decide what goes on to that television so I'll give you my promise I'll give you

00:08:15.960 my promise I give you my promise as a man that I will air uncut what you what you tell me we're good

00:08:20.960 we're good thank you I don't trust the promise of a journalist you know what you're on to something

00:08:28.960 there lady um well can I ask you one last question are you guys students here no we're not

00:08:34.960 appreciate the candor listen I'm not here to bug you I mean you may think I am but I'm actually just

00:08:38.960 trying to learn what your point of view is and why you're here and what you're trying to do

00:08:41.960 you guys do man it's it's cool all right well you know what I think you'll if you tune in and I

00:08:46.960 don't know if you will you'll see that I air this unredacted why why would I cut any of this it's been

00:08:51.960 actually interesting and you're even though you're a little prickly you're actually sort of friendly

00:08:55.960 underneath I can tell oh I'm very friendly but not to people like you so yeah people like me well what

00:09:00.960 does it people like me mean hey look at my way work the way better I'm not talking to this guy

00:09:06.960 yeah all right well I think you're the one who's being mean you're the one who's being

00:09:10.960 mean you're the one who said people like me and I don't want to

00:09:13.960 all right I'll let you continue to sell your newspaper bye guys cheers thanks

00:09:24.960 in a fata until victory socialist revolution I think you know I'm I'm flattered that the name

00:09:30.960 rebel news precedes me I think one of the fellows actually recognized me I would be interested to

00:09:36.960 understand the inter intersection between Marxism and intifada I don't quite understand it I guess

00:09:43.960 both are revolutionary movements designed to upend the United States and Western hegemony that would

00:09:49.960 be my guess but I'll just have to leave it at a guess there's a sign here Columbia University ID required

00:09:57.960 for entry and of course you can see the gate is locked obviously when we're in quote peace time all the gates are open

00:10:05.960 to students and frankly visitors but it looks like they're trying to keep out the outside activists and

00:10:12.960 and troublemakers you saw that I spoke briefly with those communists there that's what they call themselves

00:10:18.960 I think they recognized me because they didn't they impressed me on who I was and I was honest with them

00:10:24.960 I think it's an interesting mix some of the people who are in the sort of antifadas in intifadas inside some of them are

00:10:34.960 students there's no denying it but it's clear that these protests at NYU at Columbia at Yale and other universities

00:10:43.960 MIT are being aggravated and agitated by outside organizers in that case by communists by their own self description

00:10:54.960 and in other cases I would put it to you by even foreign interests we know in Canada that the Islamic Republic of Iran

00:11:01.960 has 700 agents in our small country it wouldn't surprise me if they were ten times that many in the United States

00:11:10.960 and of course when they would see these conflagrations they would dive in and spread kerosene all over them

00:11:16.960 that's why they're keeping out the non-students just before I go any further you can see enter campus

00:11:21.960 on one 17th street gate so normally you could enter on any of these gates but they're all locked

00:11:26.960 looks like they're just having one high security entry point we're just making our way let's keep going

00:11:30.960 these are the first other sort of serious journalists I've seen by serious I mean they have some expensive

00:11:42.960 equipment and some gear with them and I said who are you with and they said TRT World now that's a fairly

00:11:50.960 obscure channel but I know who they are in fact I've actually been on their show once or twice TRT World is the state

00:11:56.960 broadcaster for the Turkish authoritarian ruler Recep Erdogan

00:12:02.960 so isn't that interesting who is interested in New York City college politics

00:12:08.960 well Turkey is because they love the Islamist upheaval TRT on the scene very interesting 0.92

00:12:16.960 we've talked a few more feet and we've discovered the first protest they're not actually on the campus

00:12:22.960 as we showed you before the gates are locked you need ID these folks presumably don't have it

00:12:28.960 I was walking by the Miller theater and I thought Miller could be a gentile name could be a Jewish name

00:12:34.960 I googled it and it was founded by a Jewish philanthropist about a hundred years ago

00:12:38.960 and I only mention that to show that things change just because New York City has for a century been a city of

00:12:47.960 Jewish life and culture and philanthropy doesn't mean that its next century will be that way

00:12:53.960 a hundred years ago Detroit Michigan was the leading industrial city in America with the highest average wage

00:13:01.960 it was the richest city in terms of industrial wage was Michigan now it's a terrible rundown broken city

00:13:09.960 politics is the reason New York City for a century has been a pearl of culture and learning and philanthropy

00:13:17.960 and Jews I don't know if it'll be true a hundred years from now I wonder what the donors behind the Miller theater would say

00:13:25.960 I've been standing here on the side of Broadway and that's Columbia University over there we're on the street outside

00:13:47.960 because we're not students so we don't have student ID and apparently neither do these protesters

00:13:53.960 we've been listening to them chant for about 10 minutes straight I get the feeling they've been here for hours

00:13:59.960 just chanting the mantra free free Palestine now they're on long lens the intifada they have about three or four of these mantras

00:14:07.960 it's it's it's mesmerizing it's hypnotizing which is sort of a trait of many cults and I don't think they would talk to me

00:14:17.960 I might try but I don't think their knowledge is deep I don't think any of them are actually Palestinian

00:14:23.960 Palestinian I think they are 0.99

00:14:27.960 omnibus radicals who are attracted to any uprising like the communists we met earlier

00:14:34.960 I think these folks know that to be anti-israel and anti-american is part of the same ideological battle

00:14:43.960 and that's why they're here they would be here for a climate rally they would be here for a anti-Trump rally

00:14:52.960 they would be basically the foot soldiers and the gang members of the left wouldn't surprise me if some of them are anti-fa

00:15:01.960 there's just a hypnotic nature to it and I think that's to replace some of the depth that you see in other protests

00:15:09.960 for example I covered and Rebel News covered some of the trucker protests

00:15:14.960 if you would go up to a trucker protester and say why are you here they talk your ear off for an hour

00:15:20.960 and they would have great detail they wouldn't do what those communists say and say I'm not talking to you

00:15:27.960 and they wouldn't do what these folks are saying which is just a mindless chant

00:15:32.960 but still the effect is the same they're paralyzing the place they're making Jews uncomfortable

00:15:40.960 they're creating a spectacle and chaos so whether they know what they're doing or they're part of a cult

00:15:46.960 I suppose in some ways it doesn't matter let's keep looking

00:15:55.960 Hillary I just saw you a moment ago with that Israeli flag in your bag there

00:16:00.960 can I ask who you are and why you're wearing that what motivated you to bring an Israeli flag down to Columbia today

00:16:07.960 I just felt like the kids and not just the Jewish students but kids who actually support America needed somebody to support them

00:16:14.960 I usually have an American flag but I think I lost it along the way walking up here

00:16:19.960 you're wearing a NASCAR jacket that's pretty American how would you describe yourself politically

00:16:25.960 are you a Democrat are you Republican and are you freedom oriented or are you sort of apolitical

00:16:30.960 I've become more political now but really what I am for right now I'm supporting all the American kids

00:16:38.960 students who want freedom and not hate I believe that people should protest but not when they're calling for death of other people

00:16:47.960 and wearing that flag it's not very large but it's still identifiable from 30 feet have you received any reactions to it or did you just arrive

00:16:57.960 well I've been coming up here every day just to support students whether it's here or NYU or Michigan

00:17:03.960 wherever I could be helpful because I feel like a lot of people are a big talker Betty Crocker's

00:17:08.960 and are really not going out and supporting people they're shying away from actually going out and supporting people

00:17:14.960 because they're really intimidated by this very negative hateful energy and I think it's very dangerous

00:17:21.960 it is somewhat intimidating and and I'm you know a regular-sized I'm a plus-sized guy you're more diminutive

00:17:30.960 so have you felt physically threatened or have you been verbally threatened in any way over the weeks you've been coming to these things

00:17:38.960 I just wonder what it's like for you to walk through this gauntlet

00:17:42.960 I 100% have been physically like I'm not attacked but physically like yeah and people have walked after me but I'm not going to stop

00:17:52.960 Have you said anything?

00:17:53.960 Oh yeah

00:17:54.960 Like what?

00:17:55.960 All Jews should do this down with America 1.00

00:17:59.960 Are you a Jew?

00:18:00.960 Am I a Jew? Yes

00:18:01.960 And you're very American you're Jewish

00:18:04.960 Well I would call myself an American first because that's what I am

00:18:09.960 and that's what I identify as an American but am I Jewish? Yes

00:18:13.960 Are there other people who are non-Jewish Americans who are coming out to stand with you against these Hamas types? 0.98

00:18:20.960 I have a lot more friends now starting to come up because they're realizing that it's an American problem

00:18:25.960 not just a Jewish problem

00:18:27.960 and at the end of the day if people don't start paying attention to that that's going to be a problem

00:18:31.960 Now how would you describe the police reaction to some astonishing things the whole world has seen

00:18:38.960 I mean the NYPD is pretty good they're I think one of the world's leading counter-terrorism police forces

00:18:44.960 I'm not sure if I would quite describe what was going on inside there's terrorism but it's certainly pro-terrorism 1.00

00:18:50.960 How have the cops been and how has the city been?

00:18:54.960 I think the city is I think they're approaching it how they're being directed to approach it

00:19:00.960 By whom? Directed by whom?

00:19:02.960 Well you know the president is very contradictive here you know it's private property so they can do what they want in there

00:19:08.960 What do you mean the university president?

00:19:10.960 University but in terms of what's happening here it's really not a problem through the city it's really just at the university

00:19:15.960 Got it so when you said the president I thought you meant Joe Biden for a second

00:19:19.960 You mean the university president and what has she done or what should she do because they're still in there

00:19:25.960 The protesters right?

00:19:27.960 I understand and you know we've been following Shai I don't know if you know who

00:19:30.960 Yeah

00:19:31.960 He's the professor the Jewish professor who

00:19:34.960 Denied access whereas Joseph Mossad is still in there spewing hatred and hatred and hatred

00:19:41.960 Whereas the other professor has had his car taken away

00:19:44.960 You know I just wish as smart as I don't even think these are students out here

00:19:48.960 No if they were they would be inside because they would have ID

00:19:50.960 But the problem is I'm all up for protesting you know I went to Berkeley I'm all into it

00:19:55.960 The problem is there's a difference between saying let's have peace in Gaza let's help our people

00:20:01.960 But they're saying they're saying hate let's destroy

00:20:05.960 And that's the problem with this conversation here because it's not a conversation

00:20:11.960 Last question and thanks by the way for talking talking with me I've seen a number of

00:20:18.960 Liberal Jews including liberal Jewish rabbis say the Democrats have taken us for granted this is insane 0.99

00:20:26.960 I'm voting for Trump in fact there being some sort of liberal celebrities who have had a total 180 degree conversion

00:20:34.960 Even though they have may have some personal

00:20:37.960 Problems with Trump or this issue or that issue they feel like this is a

00:20:44.960 Moral disaster and there's no one with a backbone

00:20:47.960 How are you going to vote in November on the presidential ballot and is it motivated by what you see here?

00:20:54.960 That's a really tough question I mean I think there's a lot more

00:20:59.960 Between I think there's a lot more to say in between this I think

00:21:03.960 A lot it depends what's going to happen over the next couple months

00:21:06.960 You know what I I mean I'm not an American I'm a Canadian we came down here

00:21:11.960 It's been tough in Canada

00:21:13.960 Well we live in in in a hot spot of Toronto

00:21:16.960 I know you do I've been watching

00:21:18.960 It seems to me that if if you are who you say you are and if you care about the things you say you do and I believe you do

00:21:26.960 That that's got to be your number one issue in November and whether you have a different opinion on God

00:21:32.960 You have a different opinion on gun control or abortion or you know his Twitter tweets

00:21:38.960 It would seem that that this is sort of a single issue

00:21:42.960 No?

00:21:43.960 You know I have a lot of issues but I'm gonna I'm gonna see what happens

00:21:47.960 All right great to talk with you thanks for your time

00:21:54.960 You know what do you see this line

00:21:57.960 It's a very long line and it goes that way too

00:22:00.960 I I'd say there's

00:22:03.960 Maybe 200 people in this line

00:22:05.960 And as you can see by their gear

00:22:08.960 They're reporters

00:22:09.960 Apparently in five minutes the gates are going to be opened to the press

00:22:15.960 For two hours from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

00:22:18.960 And journalists will be able to go inside and hobnob with the who's who of the Gaza protest

00:22:25.960 I think it's very interesting and that's how it is in a first amendment jurisdiction isn't it?

00:22:31.960 So I didn't realize what the line was

00:22:34.960 These people are patiently waiting for it I guess they don't find the

00:22:38.960 Cult like strumming and drumming to be newsworthy I guess they're probably right on that

00:22:44.960 I might get in line because I don't want to miss out but I get the feeling the line will clear pretty quick

00:22:48.960 So there's an enormous number of reporters here in fact I don't know how many protesters are inside

00:22:56.960 But I I'd say we're we're almost at a one-to-one ratio

00:23:05.960 This is a beautiful garden

00:23:08.960 I mean like seriously it's a garden this manicured pedicured place gorgeous

00:23:13.960 You wouldn't even know you're in downtown Manhattan a moment ago

00:23:18.960 We were on busy litter strewn streets now we're in an oasis

00:23:23.960 It it's grand architecture

00:23:27.960 This is an Ivy League experience in the heart of Manhattan 0.94

00:23:32.960 Could you imagine coming here your parents marshaling almost a hundred thousand dollars Canadian a year

00:23:37.960 And rioting who's this character?

00:23:41.960 I'm standing next to you might recognize him

00:23:44.960 He's the alter ego of our old friend Gavin McInnes

00:23:47.960 It's Gavin's brother Myles McInnes and we might do a little social experiment too today

00:23:52.960 Myles how you doing?

00:23:54.960 I'm good I'm not comfortable in the the epitome of fascism

00:23:58.960 Columbia has endorsed the Israeli state

00:24:01.960 They are they endorse apartheid and these students are being abused

00:24:08.960 My friend Gavin McInnes in his alter ego Myles McInnes has wandered off into some argument with some folks that are unlike him

00:24:17.960 We have an idea of bringing him here in character and we'll talk more about that later

00:24:22.960 But I do want to have a very serious broadcast because it is very serious

00:24:25.960 And it's interesting to be here in the heart of the university and you know I'm nostalgic for a post-secondary educational opportunity that I never had

00:24:38.960 Imagine going to this amazing Pearl in the middle of Manhattan who wouldn't want to come here

00:24:44.960 And their parents mustered almost a hundred grand a year Canadian to get them here

00:24:48.960 And then for those people to turn it into a anti-semitic protest in a shanty town

00:24:58.960 Is stunning to me and I think the fact that literally hundreds of reporters waited in line to get in here suggests it's of great public interest

00:25:08.960 Universities have always been places of protest and upheaval of rebellion and challenge

00:25:14.960 But I fear that what we've encountered here may be more like the cult-like chants outside rather than a deep philosophical opposition

00:25:25.960 I am going to go in and talk to some folks here and we are going to see if we can find a way to operate with our friend Myles

00:25:34.960 And we'll see if we can thread the needle

00:25:44.960 Dr.

Rebel News Podcast - April 25, 2024

EZRA LEVANT ｜ What’s going on at Columbia University？ Ezra tries to find out.

Episode Stats

Summary

Transcript