ITHACA, NEW YORK: Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, have launched investigations into a series of threats made against Cornell University's Jewish community.
The threats were posted on a website not affiliated with the university and specifically targeted "104 West", where the Center of Jewish Living is located on campus.
One of these threats called for people to follow a Jewish person home and "slit their throats," accompanied by the chilling statement, "Rats need to be eliminated from Cornell."
These disturbing messages have sent shockwaves throughout the university community.
Response from campus authorities
The Steven K and Winifred A Grinspoon Hillel Center, a prominent Jewish organization at Cornell University, acknowledged the threats in a social media post. They reported that the Cornell Police Department is actively monitoring the situation and has a presence at 104 West.
“Cornell Hillel is aware of a threatening statement that was directed toward the building at 104West, which houses the university’s kosher and multicultural dining hall, as well as more generally toward Jewish students, faculty, and staff," the post read.
“The Cornell University administration has been made aware of this concerning language, and the Cornell Police Department is monitoring the situation and is on-site at 104West to provide additional security as a precaution," it continued, adding, "At this time, we advise that students and staff avoid the building out of an abundance of caution."
In a statement, Cornell University President Martha E Pollack expressed her deep concern, calling the messages "horrendous." She emphasized that the police had alerted the FBI about the threats, categorizing them as a potential hate crime.
Pollack asserted, "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; we will continue to prioritize that. We will not tolerate antisemitism at Cornell."
FBI involvement
Campus police referred these threats to the FBI, further underscoring their gravity and potential implications as a hate crime. President Pollack herself visited the Center for Jewish Living on Sunday evening, showing the university's commitment to addressing this issue promptly.
The threats were initially posted on Greekrank, a website where students discuss fraternities and sororities at various colleges. The Cornell Daily Sun, the student newspaper at Cornell, reported on the threats and published screenshots of several of them.
The Cornell Center for Jewish Living (CJL) also communicated with the community about the threats of violence posted on GreekRank. They echoed the Hillel Center's and President Pollack's statements, confirming that the police and FBI are actively investigating the threats.
"Our students are always our top priority, and we are doing and will do everything we can to ensure their safety. We will continue to notify you with updates as we receive them," the email read.
“We hear that as a call for our genocide,” Rabbi Ari Weiss, the executive director of Cornell Hillel, said of the threats. “Students are scared. They’re concerned for their safety.”
Social media outrage
The disturbing display of antisemitism at Cornell has ignited a wave of outrage on social media platforms.
"This war does not belong here!" one posted on X (formerly Twitter).
"'Concerning language?' @Cornell Is that the best you can do? Or will do?" another wondered.
"This is horrible. I hope they catch the culprits soon," someone else fumed.
"This has never been about freeing Palestine this is always been about antisemitism," another offered.
Broader context of the threats
These threatening messages occurred in a broader context of heightened tensions related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has resulted in thousands of casualties on both sides. The Israel Defense Forces' response in Gaza had already intensified tensions across the United States, including on college campuses.
Furthermore, the situation at Cornell had grown particularly tense following remarks made by Russell Rickford, an associate professor in the university's history department, who initially found the attack on Israel by Hamas "exhilarating" during a speech in downtown Ithaca.
He later apologized and requested a leave of absence from the university.
Several campus groups have responded to the broader conflict. Jewish students held vigils in response to the attack and to highlight Israeli hostages taken by Hamas, while Palestinian students and their supporters have held several demonstrations.
Additionally, there were reports of graffiti insulting Israel and comparing Zionism to genocide found on sidewalks across campus.
