Columbia University in New York announced the appointment of Professor Jonathan Kahn as dean of community and culture, whose role is "to create meaningful dialogue and foster curiosity and civic engagement," as part of the fight against rising cases of antisemitism on campus. The new position was created following criticism of the institution for inadequate handling of antisemitic incidents against Israeli or Jewish students, and the professor declared himself a "Zionist who believes in Israel's right to exist and in Palestinian aspirations for statehood." In 2021, two years before the October 7 massacre, Kahn signed a petition accusing Israel of "apartheid and ethnic cleansing" and supporting "Palestinian resistance."