PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: The University of Pennsylvania has found itself in the midst of a controversy as it works to identify the group responsible for a series of "offensive" posters that seemingly mock victims of the recent Hamas terror attack.
Last week, the campus was plastered with flyers reminiscent of the "Kidnapped from Israel" campaign, but with a startling twist.
Poster design and incentives
The posters, featuring a red and white masthead with the words "Missing Cow," showcased a silhouette of a cow and the phrase "beef dinner" written across it.
To add an unusual poster, a box of chalk and a can of beer were offered as a reward, urging people to contact a provided email address.
The original "kidnapped" posters, designed by Israelis based in New York, namely artists Nitzan Mintz and Dede Bandaid along with designers Tal Huber and Shira Gershoni, displayed the faces and information of those affected by the Hamas attack last month.
The striking similarity between these posters and the ones that appeared after the October 7 attack has sparked widespread condemnation, with critics targeting the university and its president, Liz Magill.
"A series of posters mocking kidnapped Israelis and comparing hostage victims to cows were spotted all over campus," Stop Antisemitism wrote in a post, adding, "We have no words regarding the cesspool of Jew hatred that has infested UPenn under the failed leadership of President Liz Magill."
The university swiftly responded, stating that the posters were promptly removed, and they plan to take disciplinary action in line with their guidelines.
A university spokesperson emphasized, "Penn Public Safety is actively working to identify the individuals responsible for hanging crude, deplorable posters on campus," as reported by the Daily Pennsylvanian.
When questioned about the posters, the email address provided responded, claiming the posters were "a joke to promote veganism." The email insisted that the similarity in the format was an unintentional mistake and that they did not mean to allude to the October 7 attack.
Social media reactions
Social media platforms were flooded with reactions in solidarity with the Jewish community at UPenn, with users expressing concern about the university's environment.
"Sorry to the Jewish @Penn employees who have to work in this environment and the Jewish students who have to study in this environment," one posted on X in response to Stop Antisemitism's post.
"And no one's tearing these down... I guess it's more woke to mock the hostages than to honor them," another fumed.
"U Penn encourages antisemitism it’s baked into its woke curriculum - wealthy privileged kids cosplaying as the oppressed," a comment read.
"I hope they find these kids and expel them and their donors pull funds," someone else added.
"The Ivy League has created a generation of moral bankruptcy," another declared.
Previous controversies
This incident adds to the university's previous controversies related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. UPenn faced criticism for allowing "anti-Semitic" slogans to be projected onto one of its buildings, leading to accusations of the place being a "magnet for anti-Semites."
In response to concerns about the safety of Jewish students and staff, the Brandeis Center announced its intention to file a complaint against the university.
The center alleged that UPenn "has allowed its campus to become a hostile environment for its Jewish students as well as a magnet for anti-Semites," per the New York Post, adding that the complaints "seek immediate and specific action to address increasing discrimination against and harassment of Jews in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964."
Earlier this month, a video surfaced purportedly showing a UPenn student praising Hamas' "glorious October 7" incursion into southern Israel.
The fallout from the Hamas attack, which saw over 200 people taken hostage and around 1,200 casualties, has sparked pro-Palestinian rallies across the country, including at UPenn. The university defended the right of students to hold such events, emphasizing its commitment to the "free exchange of ideas."
Nevertheless, amid the growing criticism, President Magill announced the establishment of a University Task Force under its Action Plan to Combat Antisemitism, expressing her dismay at the reported incidents on campus.
