Anti-Semitic threats at Cornell University have sparked an FBI investigation after vile comments were made against the Jewish community. This Ivy League institution in Ithaca, New York has already faced anti-Semitic graffiti and a professor being forced to take a leave of absence for his comments.
The threats were discovered on the university’s messaging board at the Center for Jewish Living, with some messages containing violent and derogatory language towards Jewish students. The use of the word “pig” – a known anti-Semitic slur – was repeated in several messages.
In her letter to the students, Cornell President Martha E. Pollack expressed her concern and announced that the FBI had been contacted to investigate this potential hate crime. Some of the messages on Cornell’s Greekrank page – a forum for fraternity and sorority reviews – had headlines such as “Eliminate Jewish living from Cornell Campus” and “Israel deserved 10/7.” These messages left by anonymous users also contained threats of violence and sexual assault towards Jewish and female students.
🚨BREAKING – Threats Prompt Lockdown and FBI Alert at Cornell University:
“Israel deserved 10/7, the genocidal fascist zionist regime will be destroyed. râpe and kill all the jew women, before they birth more jewish hitlers. jews are excrement on the face of the earth. no jew… pic.twitter.com/PHSZBij2Ro
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 30, 2023
One commenter, using the username “hamas,” wrote, “I will bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot all you pig Jews. Jews are human animals and deserve a pigs death.” They also added, “Liberation by any means. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”
The targeted location, the Center for Jewish Living, was a cause for concern, and Cornell Hillel advised students to stay away from the building. Cornell Police also released an alert for the whole city of Ithaca, stating that “targeted locations were intentionally selected.” Fearing for their safety, some students debated leaving campus while others sought alternate accommodation.
The Jewish student organization at @Cornell University in Ithaca, New York sent out this notice about a threat directed to a building used by the campus’ Jewish people. pic.twitter.com/nU0Dn8OAxm
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) October 30, 2023
Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James both condemned the anti-Semitic threats, with the latter stating that there is no space for such hatred and violence on college campuses. Hochul called for an increased police presence at state universities to monitor and address any potential threats.
Cornell’s position on Israel has also been a source of controversy, with the campus being defaced with anti-Israel graffiti just days after a professor took a leave of absence for his remarks about the recent Hamas terror attacks. The graffiti, reading “F**k Israel” and other derogatory messages towards Israel, have since been removed by university staff.
Cornell University was littered with graffiti overnight. From sidewalks to trees, the beautiful Ithaca campus was desecrated with anti-Israel rhetoric. University staff are actively working to remove the spray paint. pic.twitter.com/Fg56kUzaev
— Sam Aberman (@samaberman) October 25, 2023
The university has been vocal about addressing this issue and ensuring the safety of their students. President Pollack stated, “Threats of violence are absolutely intolerable, and we will work to ensure that the person or people who posted them are punished to the full extent of the law. Our immediate focus is on keeping the community safe.” She also reassured students that the FBI and Cornell Police are actively investigating the threats.
The Jewish community at Cornell is standing strong and remains united against these hateful attacks. The university has taken steps to increase security and protect its students, including stepping up police presence in response to the incident. Students and faculty alike are hopeful that this incident will not be repeated in the future and that actions will be taken to prevent such hateful displays.
