Silence from Columbia megadonors and famous former students as college is torn apart by anti-Israel protests

Colombia's mega donors and famous former students are remaining silent as pro Palestine protests tear the college apart.

Billionaire businessman Leon Cooperman and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft are so far among a minority of high profile names to speak out amid the turmoil at their alma mater.

Columbia is currently being rocked by the seventh day of protests as students stage a sit-in to demand the university divest from companies profiting from Israel's war and sever academic ties with its universities.

So far more than 100 activists have been arrested. The demonstration escalated again on Monday during the Jewish holiday of Passover when staff and students walked out in protest over the NYPD being called in to control protests.

But still former students such as Alicia Keys, Warren Buffet, Julia Stiles and Jake Gyllenhaal have remained completely silent on the matter. 

Colombia's mega donors and famous former students are remaining silent as pro Palestine protests tear the college apart. Pictured: Professors protesting on April 22, 2024

Alumnus Barack Obama issued a message celebrating Passover but did not acknowledge the unrest at his alma mater

Famous former students singer Alicia Keys and Jake Gyllenhaal have kept quiet amid the turmoil at their old school

Even former president Barack Obama has failed to acknowledge the unrest, despite posting a message in celebration of Passover on his official account on X whilst the clashes were unfolding.

'In a time when there's been so much suffering and loss in Israel and Gaza, let's reaffirm our commitment to the Jewish people, and people of all religions, who deserve to feel safe and secure wherever they live and practice their faith,' the former president wrote.

By contrast Kraft did not back as he explained his decision to pull funding from Columbia on Monday.

'The school I love so much – the one that welcomed me and provided me with so much opportunity – is no longer an institution I recognize,' he said.

'I am deeply saddened at the virulent hate that continues to grow on campus and throughout our country.'

Hedge fund manager Cooperman blasted the protesters as having 'sh** for brains'.

'These kids are f***ing crazy. They don't understand what they're doing or what they're talking about,' Cooperman, the son of Jewish-Polish immigrants, told CNN on Monday, adding the protesters 'have to be controlled.'

However, he expressed support for embattled university president Minouche Shafik, who canceled in-person learning on Monday due to the ongoing chaos.

Demonstrations at Columbia escalated again on Monday (pictured) during Passover when staff and students walked out in protest over the NYPD being called in to control protests

So far more than 100 pro Palestine activists have been arrested at the school. Encampments continued to spring up on Tuesday

But still Columbia business school graduate Warren Buffet, pictured here in December 2017, has not made any public comment about the chaos on campus

Columbia alumnus Julia Stiles has not acknowledge tensions at her old college. Pictured: Stiles attends 'The Wanderers' Broadway opening at the Laura Pels Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023

'My view is that finally they are doing the right thing at the school,' he said. 'The administration is now responding properly... The president is now saying the right things.'

He did clarify that he had asked the university to ensure that his money is only spent within the business school.

British-American businessman Len Blavatnik was also reportedly mulling whether to axe his donations. the New York Post reports.

'Columbia University's leadership must take immediate steps to ensure that Jewish students are protected from threats and intimidation, and that those who violate their policies are held to account,' Blavatnik, the founder of Access Industries, told the outlet.

James Gorman, the executive chair of Morgan Stanley and the chair of Columbia Business School, declined to comment to CNBC when asked about his intentions.  

Kraft's decision is not unprecedented and follows similar action by donors at Harvard and UPenn.

Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman's withdrawal of funding and subsequent pressure on the Harvard administration was instrumental in forcing the resignation of former president Claudine Gay. 

Similar financier Mark Rowan's public disavowal of UPenn partly forced Liz Magill to step down just days after her disastrous testimony before Congress about allegations  of anti-Semitism on her campus.