NEW YORK — Columbia University administrators on Saturday vowed not to bring the New York City Police Department in to clear out a pro-Gaza tent city on the school’s property, claiming that police intervention would only inflame an already tense situation.

“We called on the NYPD to clear an encampment once, but we all share the view, based on discussions within our community and with outside experts, that to bring back the NYPD at this time would be counterproductive, further inflaming what is happening on campus, and drawing thousands to our doorstep who would threaten our community,” the school said in a statement.

The decision comes as school administrators and demonstrators continue negotiations to clear the school’s main lawn of protesters. During the weeklong talks, students have demanded Columbia take the threat of physical action against them off the table, insiders with knowledge of the discussions said.

On April 18, university officials reached out to the NYPD, who arrested more than 100 protesters on campus. Since then, police have maintained a presence outside the school gates.

Columbia’s campus is on private property. The NYPD can only go in if the school asks them to.

While they won’t be opening its doors to cops in riot gear, Columbia said they will hold protesters who spew antisemitic hatred accountable for their deeds and words.

“Chants, signs, taunts, and social media posts from our own students that mock and threaten to ‘kill’ Jewish people are totally unacceptable, and Columbia students who are involved in such incidents will be held accountable,” Columbia said, noting that student Khymani James was banned from the school Friday.

James, one of the leaders of the encampment, in a newly surfaced clip from a January Instagram Live video said “Zionists don’ t deserve to live” and “Be grateful that I’m not just going out and murdering Zionists.”

James apologized for his remarks on Friday in a statement released through Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a coalition of more than 100 student groups that organized the encampment.

“What I said was wrong,” James said. “Every member of our community deserves to feel safe without qualification.”

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