An event at Cornell University, featuring former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, marred by unruly anti-Israel protesters who interrupted the event with antisemitic chants and verbal abuse.
An event earlier this week at Cornell University, featuring former Palestinian Arab and Israeli officials in a discussion on Middle East peace, was marred by unruly anti-Israel protests, The New York Post reports.
The "Pathways to Peace" panel, which included former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, descended into chaos when protesters interrupted the event with antisemitic chants and verbal abuse.
During the commotion, one female student, wearing a keffiyeh, shouted, “F–k you, war criminals,” according to a video shared by Cornell student Sam Friedman. Other demonstrators chanted, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Warning: Inappropriate language can be heard in this video
Friedman, a 21-year-old junior at Cornell’s College of Engineering, attended the event with hopes of gaining insights from both Israeli and Palestinian perspectives.
“I was very excited for the event, I’m a Jewish student, and I’m interested in what’s happening in the Middle East,” he told The Post. “I thought this was a really good way to hear not just Israeli perspectives, but also Palestinian perspectives.”
However, he said the event was immediately overshadowed by disruptive protesters. “The irony is that you had Livni, who is a left-wing, pro-Palestinian Israeli, an advocate for the Palestinian state, and the former head of the Palestinian authority, and meanwhile these students not only won’t listen to them but they’re shouting them down,” Friedman explained.
At least 17 protesters were arrested during the Monday discussion, which was led by the group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which is now facing possible suspension, according to Cornell’s senior administration.
Cornell University’s interim president, Michael Kotlikoff, condemned the actions of the protesters in a statement, stressing the importance of respectful dialogue.
“The hundreds of members of the Cornell community who came to Bailey Hall to listen, learn, and respectfully debate experienced an evening of information, introspection, and critical self-examination,” he said. “Unfortunately, the event was marred by disappointing disruptions. The ability of speakers to present opinions and ideas, and to engage in thoughtful dialogue with the university community, is critical to the educational process and fundamental to university life. Individuals attempting to shout down speakers and disrupt dialogue seriously compromise our values. Those who disrupted the Pathways to Peace event were swiftly removed.”
Of the 17 individuals identified as responsible for the disruptions, nine students will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards for appropriate action, which could include suspension. Staff members involved will face disciplinary actions through Human Resources, while outside disruptors will be barred from campus.
Cornell, like other colleges and universities in the US, has seen more antisemitic incidents since Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.
In the most egregious incident, a Cornell University student was arrested after threatening to kill Jews on campus.
The menacing messages, posted on a forum about fraternities and sororities, alarmed students at the school in upstate New York and led to students being advised to stay away from the school’s kosher dining hall.
The student, Patrick Dai, later pleaded guilty to posting the threatening messages. He was sentenced in August to 21 months in prison.
In another incident, Cornell History Professor Russell Rickford was placed on “voluntary leave” after widespread public outcry when he was recorded at an off-campus anti-Israel rally cheering the Hamas attack as “exhilarating” and “energizing”.
Rickford later apologized for his comments and was back teaching at the school this past fall.