A wealthy American benefactor and graduate of Columbia University who served in World War II has given a $260 million donation to an Israeli university, as the fallout from months of protests and police operations on U.S. campuses continues.
The news comes as pro-Palestinian protesters set up a new encampment in front of Los Angeles City Hall on Monday night, and after a similar protest encampment returned to the main campus at Columbia on Friday.
NBC News has reached out to Columbia for comment.
The anonymous man is donating the money to Bar-Ilan University, in Tel Aviv suburb Ramat Gan, the college’s president, Arie Zaban, announced Monday.
It is not known whether the donor considered giving the money to Columbia, but a statement from the Israeli college pointedly confirmed a few basic biographical facts: he is a “North American Jew and graduate of Columbia University who served in World War II.”
“He saw Israel as a safe haven for the Jewish people and was committed to its economic and social stability. He chose Bar-Ilan University as the research institution best able to undertake the great task of expanding science-based technological resilience in Israel,” the college said in a statement.
Zaban said the man was “of broad academic education” and had visited Israel multiple times, where he witnessed the college’s scientific research.
Bar-Ilan will invest the money in “deep tech,” recruiting researchers in energy, environment, cryptography, bio-convergence, quantum technology, artificial intelligence and natural language processing.
The college was founded in 1955 and has about 20,000 students.
Columbia was the scene of a high-profile standoff during the recent wave of protests before summer break began last month.
An encampment returned to the school during an annual alumni reunion event Friday, weeks after police dramatically cleared the area. College newspaper the Columbia Spectator reported that the latest encampment, dubbed the “Revolt for Rafah,” was dismantled Sunday.
Columbia students and others had for weeks occupied the central lawn on the Manhattan campus, at one point seizing control of a building and renaming it in honor of a slain Palestinian child.
One banner at the Columbia camp on Friday read: “No donations ’til divestment,” the Spectator reported, repeating a long-made demand that the university cuts all financial and institutional ties with Israel.
While the protesters’ actions were well-received by supporters of the Palestinian cause, critics including President Joe Biden said the camps had been responsible for hate speech and threats of violence.
Officers from Los Angeles Police Department were on high tactical alert Monday night after a pro-Palestinian protest encampment was established outside City Hall, NBC Los Angeles reported.
Around 20 tents were erected outside the building at Main Street and First Street late Monday afternoon. The police force referred to it as a “non-permitted demonstration” in a statement on X.