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Althea, a Jewish student in the encampment, said she’s been subject to harassment being part of the pro-Palestinian movement on the Columbia University campus.

She wears a Star of David necklace along with a keffiyeh, which has become a symbol of Palestinian identity. She said her family has roots in the Middle East, and that she’s a Mizrahi Jew. 

“I’ve been called a terrorist. I’ve been called a Jew hater. I’ve been called an enemy of my own people, none of which are true, because Judaism and Palestinian liberation go hand in hand,” she said to CNN just outside of the encampment. 

She asked not to be referred to by her last name for privacy concerns.  

Althea said combatting anti-Semitism and Islamophobia go hand in hand. 

“I would honestly say that the biggest threat to us on campus right now is the heavy presence of NYPD,” she said. 

She said Palestinian rights came to the forefront of her consciousness after she visited Israel last year through a trip organized by the campus Hillel. She said she visited a town on the Mediterranean coast where on one side was a Palestinian town and the other was an Israeli. 

 “On one side, there’s this pristine environment that’s Israeli homes. On the other side, it’s a slum, like it’s dirty… the Palestinian village doesn’t have the resources to be able to clean up and function. A lot of the houses don’t have electricity.”

 The encampment at Columbia observes the Muslim daily prayers as well as Seder for the Jewish holiday of Passover.  

“I think being Jewish inside the encampment has given me a very helpful perspective, where I’m able to say yes, I attended this Seder a couple nights ago with a lot of Palestinian and Muslim students who were welcomed with open arms,” she said.