Kathy Hochul to meet with New York college presidents as officials try to prevent further anti-Israel chaos on campuses

Gov. Kathy Hochul will meet virtually with New York City college presidents as officials try to prevent further chaos on campus after anti-Israel protests in the spring escalated into vandalism and violence.

The “super Zoom” meeting is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon and will include presidents of public and private universities from across the Empire State to discuss safety plans for the new academic year, The Post has learned.

Classes start this week or after Labor Day for most colleges and officials are on high alert after earlier protests fueled anti-Semitism and left Jewish students on edge.

“Governor Hochul is committed to ensuring that all college students can learn in a safe environment,” Hochul spokesman Avi Small told The Post on Sunday.

“To that end, he is convening presidents of public and private universities across New York to discuss their security plans for the upcoming semester and to reiterate that there is no place for hate, prejudice or anti-Semitism in New York.”

The Governor’s Office has developed an interagency plan to address campus security, which includes representatives from the Executive Chamber, the New York State Police and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

Hochul has directed her team to work with universities to ensure a safe return to campuses this fall, and previously dispatched Director of State Operations Kathryn Garcia to meet with school leaders to discuss their action plans.

“We want to know your safety plans. What are you doing to prepare to protect your students on campus? Because all students have the right to walk around and go to class freely and not be harassed,” Hochul said last week, in anticipation of the meeting.

Hochul has yet to release a report she ordered last fall to investigate alleged anti-Semitism on the City University of New York campuses. The investigation is being led by former state judge Jonathan Lippman.

The ongoing conflict in Gaza, which erupted following Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, fueled protests across the country. New York universities saw on-campus clashes with large student populations both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian. Outside pro-Hamas agitators also infiltrated campus demonstrations.

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik recently announced her resignation following a riot that included pro-Hamas protesters taking over Hamilton Hall and vandalizing it. Police arrested dozens of people, but nearly all escaped prosecution and expulsion.

At City College’s Harlem campus, anti-Israel criminals caused at least $3 million in damage and the need for additional taxpayer-funded security.

At The Cooper Union, 10 Jewish students have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging school officials failed to protect them and their classmates from anti-Semitism during a 2023 incident in which they were locked in the campus library as angry pro-Palestinian protesters marched nearby.

Columbia, Cornell University and Cooper Union are also among the schools under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education over complaints of rampant anti-Semitism and Islamophobia on campus.

Meanwhile, in June CUNY entered into a settlement agreement with the DOE to resolve nine discrimination complaints alleging anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other incidents of harassment, including many that occurred prior to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Jewish advocacy groups Secure Community Network and Hillel International recently announced campus security measures to help protect Jewish students and staff at more than 50 colleges and universities across the country during the fall semester.

The training will instruct Jewish students on what to do when confronted by protesters and how to report incidents to police.