Campus Watch September 19, 2024

Cornell Prof Who Called Oct 7 “Exhilarating” Returns to Campus

Cornell University Professor Russell Rickford, who infamously referred to the Oct. 7 massacre as “exhilarating,” has returned to campus.

Rickford had been on voluntary leave ever since he made those comments in October  2023; Rickford subsequently apologized for the remarks. The university told The New York Post that they did not discipline Rickford, but wouldn’t say if the professor was paid while on leave. Joel Malina, Cornell’s vice president of university relations, told the Post that the university didn’t discipline Rickford because his remarks “were made as a private citizen in his free time” and thus were protected as free speech.

Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) sent a letter to Cornell Interim President Michael Kotlikoff expressing her outrage at the university’s decision. “Professor Rickford holds a position within the university that allows him to mold and influence young minds,” Tenney wrote. “This position demands a higher standard of behavior, one that is free from antisemitic rhetoric and vocal support of terrorism. By perpetuating these abhorrent views, Professor Rickford has not only violated his ethical responsibility as an educator, but has also jeopardized the safety of the Jewish community and tarnished Cornell.”

UMich Jewish Student Attacked

A Jewish student at the University of Michigan was assaulted on Sept. 15 after being asked if he was Jewish.

University President Santa Ono said in a statement on Sept. 16, “Over the weekend, one of our students was attacked off campus simply for answering ‘yes’ in response to the question ‘are you Jewish?,’ We strongly condemn and denounce this act of violence and all antisemitic acts. Antisemitism is in direct conflict with the university’s deeply held values of safety, respect and inclusion and has no place within our community.” He added that Ann Arbor police are investigating the matter.

UVA Rejects Calls to Divest from Israel

The University of Virginia UVA Investment Management Company (UVIMCO) announced on Sept. 13 that they will not be divesting from companies that conduct business with Israel.

In February, a nonbinding student referendum calling for the university to divest from Israel passed with 67.87% of the vote, according to The Daily Progress. UVIMCO Chief Operating Officer Kristina Alimard said during a Board of Visitors meeting on Sept. 13, “We are not divesting from any investments in response to the student referendum that was passed earlier this year. Our primary objective is to generate strong adjusted returns for the University of Virginia. We do not utilize divestment or negative screens for nonfinancial reasons.”

Anti-Israel Protesters Disrupt Jewish Speakers During UW Board of Regents Meeting on Antisemitism

Anti-Israel protesters disrupted Jewish leaders who were speaking during a University of Washington (UW) Board of Regents meeting on Sept. 12, prompting the meeting to end early.

The Washington Examiner reported that “approximately a dozen anti-Israel speakers made uninterrupted arguments for why they feel the school should divest from companies associated with Israel” but five Jewish speakers were subjected to “jeers and chants” and the sixth Jewish speaker didn’t get a chance to speak. Board Chairman David Zeeck adjourned the meeting early after issuing multiple warnings to the disrupter; campus police escorted the Jewish speakers, regents and the UW president out of the meeting. 

“We were talking about harassment that Jewish students have experienced [on campus], and that is exactly what happened in the room,” Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle CEO Solly Kane told the Examiner. “We were repeatedly interrupted. We were not given the opportunity to speak without disruption, and I think that that speaks to the problem on the campus.” Kane also claimed that Zeeck had said that the protesters would be removed by campus police if they disrupted the meeting, but his actions didn’t match his statements.

ADL: 477% Increase in Anti-Israel Incidents on Campuses

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a report on Sept. 16 stating that there was a 477% increase in anti-Israel incidents on college campuses in the United States from June 2023-May 2024.

The ADL recorded 2,087 incidents in total, the highest amount that the ADL has ever documented; the figure included protests, assaults, vandalism and divestment resolutions. The Jewish organization also noted that they didn’t include anti-Israel panels, speeches, webinars and the like as they have previous years because “these numbers were exceedingly high” in the past academic year. The campus with the highest number of anti-Israel incidents was Columbia University at 52 incidents, followed by the University of Michigan with 37, Harvard University at and UC Berkeley at 36 each and UCLA at 35.

“Since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the anti-Israel movement’s relentless harassment, vandalism, intimidations and violent physical assaults go way beyond the peaceful voicing of a political opinion,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “Administrators and faculty need to do much better this year to ensure a safe and truly inclusive environment for all students, regardless of religion, nationality or political views. They need to start now.”