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Threats of violence grow on college campuses amid high tensions during Israel-Hamas war

Nov 02, 2023

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Classes at Cornell University have been canceled for Friday, Nov. 3. The university cited “extraordinary stress” amid ongoing tensions between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian students on campus since Hamas killed 1,500 Israelis in a terror attack on Oct. 7 and Israel’s counteroffensive has left more than 9,000 Palestinians dead, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Earlier in the week of Oct. 30, officials at the university said antisemitic threats of violence appeared online over the weekend. On Tuesday, Oct. 31, Patrick Dai, a 21-year-old junior at the ivy league school, was arrested and charged with making those online threats against Jewish students.

According to NBC News, prosecutors said Dai allegedly threatened to “shoot up” a campus building and said he would “stab” or “slit the throat” of Jewish men and rape or throw off a cliff Jewish women he encounters on campus. Prosecutors also alleged Dai said he would behead Jewish babies and carry out a shooting massacre against Jewish people.

Cornell police beefed up security on campus. Law enforcement has been parked outside of the university’s Center for Jewish Living amid the threats, as Jewish students living there say they don’t feel safe.

“You hear all these things about antisemitism on other campuses,” said Jeremy Zarge, a Jewish student living at the Center. “But you never really think it’s going to happen to you. And to see my own campus targeting specifically 104-West, this building–the building that I live in and sleep in–it was just unbelievable. It’s hard for me to imagine that someone would want to come here and do the things that they said.”

Protests have erupted at colleges and universities across the country including at Columbia, Harvard, Tulane, the University of Pennsylvania, New York University, among dozens of others.

Jewish college students are now “gearing up to sue elite universities like Cornell and Harvard over allegations that the schools have turned a blind eye in the face of rampant antisemitism on campuses,” according to Business Insider.

The lawyer preparing to file the lawsuits told the news outlet that the plaintiffs are Jewish students who claim to have been victimized by on-campus hatred and bigotry.

They are accusing the schools of violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

On Wednesday, Nov. 1, U.S. officials warned of a significant increase in threats against Jewish, Muslim and Arab communities across the country.

“I want to reiterate a core principle of this Justice Department,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said. “No person and no community in this country should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence.”

The White House rolled out a new initiative to combat anti-Islamophobia, drawing skepticism from some Muslim-Americans who disagree with the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s military assault against Gaza.

“How can you give cover at the same time you’re saying that I’m being sensitive to Islamophobia issues?” Shafi Khaled, a Muslim man living in America. “He [Biden] is not. He is a man of complete political identity and that’s what he’s playing.”

Patrick Dai appeared in court on Wednesday, Nov. 1 and did not enter a plea. His preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 15. The judge ordered he remain behind bars.

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[ANCHOR]

FRIDAY CLASSES AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY ARE CANCELED!

THE UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCED – “EXTRAORDINARY STRESS” AMID ONGOING TENSIONS BETWEEN PRO-ISRAELI AND PRO-PALESTINIAN STUDENTS ON CAMPUS – SINCE HAMAS KILLED 1,400 ISRAELIS IN A TERROR ATTACK ON OCTOBER 7TH.

ISRAEL’S COUNTEROFFENSIVE HAS LEFT MORE THAN 9,000 PALESTINIANS DEAD – ACCORDING TO THE PALESTINIAN HEALTH MINISTRY.

 EARLIER THIS WEEK – UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS SAID ANTI-SEMITIC THREATS OF VIOLENCE APPEARED ONLINE OVER THE WEEKEND.

THEN ON TUESDAY – PATRICK DAI – A 21-YEAR-OLD JUNIOR AT THE IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL WAS ARRESTED – AND CHARGED WITH MAKING THOSE ONLINE THREATS AGAINST JEWISH STUDENTS.

ACCORDING TO NBC NEWS – PROSECUTORS SAID DAI ALLEGEDLY THREATENED TO “SHOOT UP” A CAMPUS BUILDING AND SAID HE WOULD “STAB” OR “SLIT THE THROAT” OF JEWISH MEN… AND RAPE OR THROW OFF A CLIFF – JEWISH WOMEN HE ENCOUNTERS ON CAMPUS.

DAI ALSO SAID HE WOULD BEHEAD JEWISH BABIES AND CARRY OUT A SHOOTING MASSACRE AGAINST JEWISH PEOPLE – ACCORDING TO PROSECUTORS.

CORNELL POLICE BEEFED UP SECURITY ON CAMPUS.

LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE OF THE UNIVERSITY’S “CENTER FOR JEWISH LIVING” AMID THE THREATS – AS JEWISH STUDENTS LIVING HERE SAY THEY DON’T FEEL SAFE.

[JEREMY ZARGE / CORNELL UNIVERSITY STUDENT]

“YOU HEAR ALL THESE THINGS ABOUT ANTI-SEMITISM ON OTHER CAMPUSES BUT YOU NEVER REALLY THINK IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU, AND TO SEE MY OWN CAMPUS TARGETING SPECIFICIALLY 104-WEST, THIS BUILDING, THE BUILDING THAT I LIVE IN AND SLEEP IN, IT WAS JUST UNBELIEVABLE. IT’S HARD FOR ME TO IMAGINE THAT SOMEONE WOULD WANT TO COME HERE AND DO THE THINGS THAT THEY SAID.”

[ANCHOR]

PROTESTS HAVE ERUPTED AT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY… INCLUDING COLUMBIA, HARVARD, TULANE, THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY – AMONG DOZENS OF OTHERS.

JEWISH COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE NOW “Gearing up to sue elite universities like Cornell and Harvard over allegations that the schools have turned a blind eye in the face of rampant antisemitism on campuses” – ACCORDING TO BUSINESS INSIDER.

THE LAWYER PREPARING TO FILE THE LAWSUITS TELLS THE NEWS OUTLET – THE PLAINTIFFS ARE JEWISH STUDENTS WHO CLAIM TO HAVE BEEN VICTIMIZED BY ON-CAMPUS HATRED AND BIGOTRY.

THEY’RE ACCUSING THE SCHOOLS OF VIOLATING THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX OR NATIONAL ORIGIN.

THIS – AS U-S OFFICIALS WARN – THERE’S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THREATS AGAINST JEWISH AND MUSLIM AND ARAB COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

[MERRICK GARLAND / US ATTORNEY GENERAL]

“I WANT TO REITERATE A CORE PRINCIPLE OF THIS JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. NO PERSON AND NO COMMUNITY IN THIS COUNTRY SHOULD HAVE TO LIVE IN FEAR OF HATE-FUELED VIOLENCE.”

[ANCHOR]

THE WHITE HOUSE ROLLED OUT A NEW INITIATIVE TO COMBAT ANTI-ISLAMOPHOBIA – WHILE RECEIVING SKEPTICISM FROM MUSLIM-AMERICANS WHO DISAGREE WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL’S MILITARY ASSAULT AGAINST GAZA.

[SHAFI KHALED / MUSLIM AMERICAN] 

“HOW CAN YOU GIVE COVER AT THE SAME TIME YOU’RE SAYING THAT I’M BEING SENSIBLE, UH SENSITIVE TO ISLAMOPHOBIA ISSUES? HE {BIDEN} IS NOT. HE IS A MAN OF COMPLETE POLITICAL IDENTITY AND THAT’S WHAT HE’S PLAYING”

[ANCHOR] 

PATRICK DAI APPEARED IN COURT ON WEDNESDAY –

HE DID NOT ENTER A PLEA.

HIS PRELIMINARY HEARING IS SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 15TH.

THE JUDGE ORDERED HE REMAIN BEHIND BARS.