ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — Students at Cornell University have been left uneasy by threatening statements about Jews posted on an internet discussion board. In response, officials have taken the step of sending police to guard a Jewish center and kosher dining hall.
These anonymous messages were posted over the weekend in an online forum discussing fraternities and sororities. They are just part of a larger wave of antisemitic and anti-Muslim rhetoric that has surfaced on social media during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, during a visit to Cornell’s Center for Jewish Living on Monday, promised that state police would work to identify those responsible for the online threats and hold them accountable.
“No one should feel afraid walking from their dorm or dining hall to a classroom,” she stated. “When speech crosses the line into hate speech and hate crimes, we need to ensure that students know we will step up and protect them.”
The Cornell University Police Department is currently investigating the threats and has notified the FBI.
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The threats, which have since been deleted, did not result in the closure of the dining hall or the implementation of any lockdown procedures. However, Cornell Hillel, a Jewish campus organization, advised students and staff to avoid the building “out of an abundance of caution.”
A state police cruiser was stationed in front of the Center for Jewish Living on a rainy Monday, with a campus security SUV in the driveway.
“We don’t feel safe right now,” said Ori Baer, the vice president of the center and a sophomore from Long Island who was born in Jerusalem. He shared that some students living in the center chose to stay elsewhere on Sunday night, while other Jewish students have opted to remain in their rooms. Concerned parents have also urged their children to return home.
U.S. campuses have seen demonstrations both in support of Israel and in support of Palestinians since the start of the war, leading both Jewish and Muslim students to feel isolated and unsupported by their universities.
Reports of hate crimes against Jews and Muslims have also been on the rise. Earlier this month, a 6-year-old Muslim boy was fatally stabbed and his mother was injured in Illinois. The suspect was charged with a hate crime after targeting the victims due to their faith.
Even if the threats at Cornell were empty, the fear of violence was heightened by comments left on a Greek life website that is not affiliated with the university in Ithaca, New York. The power to frighten still remains.
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“The virulence and destructiveness of antisemitism is real and deeply impacting our Jewish students, faculty, and staff, as well as the entire Cornell community,” stated Cornell President Martha E. Pollack.
The administration of President Joe Biden has condemned the alarming increase in antisemitic incidents at U.S. schools and colleges. The White House has announced that the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have been offering support and addressing threats in calls with campus law enforcement officials.
To further address the issue, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Domestic Policy Adviser Neera Tanden will hold a roundtable discussion with Jewish students during their planned visit to a university campus this week, according to the White House. Education Department officials have been visiting campuses across the country to tackle antisemitism, with additional visits scheduled in New York City and Baltimore.
The agency is also updating the process for reporting federal discrimination complaints, clarifying that antisemitism and Islamophobia are prohibited under the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Hannon reported from Bangkok, Thailand. Associated Press writer Collin Binkley in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
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