Barnard College is embroiled in a controversy after a social media post depicted a liberated Palestine, then deleting it in an attempt to quell backlash — and outraging both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine advocates in the process. On Monday, the women’s college, which is a part of Columbia University, posted a photo on Instagram highlighting a student’s recent experience interning at “Arablit Quarterly” magazine. The picture showed her holding the latest issue, with a cover illustration of what appears to be the map shape of Israel covered in either pink flower petals or wing feathers, with Gaza highlighted in yellow.
After outcry from the pro-Israel community — some of whom said they saw it as “a map showing the entire state of Israel taken over from a starting point in Gaza” — the school ended up deleting the post. But, to some in the Columbia community, it was a slap in the face after a semester of antisemitic chaos on campus. “Whether deliberately or unintentionally, Barnard College’s social media team posted content that was deeply offensive to the Jewish community,” Ari Shrage, a member of the class of 2001 and cofounder of the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, told The Post.
“Social media mistakes happen. However, it is deeply concerning to note that this incident follows a larger pattern at Columbia of gaslighting the Jewish community by denying that antisemitism is occurring,” Shrage added. Shrage’s organization was among many who called.