NYU PhD graduate rails against Israel in his graduation speech - to applause. @NYUniversity is now a hotbed of hate.

Steven William Thrasher spoke at the NYU Doctoral Convocation a few days ago as a class representative. In his speech, he thanked anti-Israel groups and literally screamed his hate for Israel - to major applause.

 I am so proud, so proud of NYU’s chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and of Jewish Voice for Peace, and of GSOC, and of the NYU student government, and of my colleagues in the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis for supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against the apartheid state government in Israel — because this is what we are called to do. This is our NYU legacy — that we are connected in radical love, and we have a duty and a privilege in this position to protect not the most popular amongst us, but the most vulnerable amongst us on every campus where we serve in every community where we live, in every place that we work.

This is our duty and we must stand together to vanquish racism and Islamophobia and antisemitism and injustice and attacks on women and attacks on abortion rights in Tel Aviv, in Shanghai, in Abu Dhabi, in New York City, in Atlanta, in Washington, in Los Angeles, in San Francisco and everywhere in the world. 

He is going to teach journalism at Northwestern University starting next month.

It is difficult to think of someone less qualified to be a journalist.

NYU has a major problem. Here is a thread from Melissa Weiss that shows just how bad it has been in just this past school year.

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An incoming college freshman, whose great-grandfather founded @nyuniversity’s music dept and was a professor there for many years, withdrew her acceptance to the university. There will be more like her until NYU shuts down rampant anti-Semitism on campus.

What led to a young Jewish woman walking away from an education at such a prestigious institution as NYU, you ask? A thread on anti-Semitism at NYU... 

Last year, members of NYU Students for Justice in Palestine burned an Israel flag during a celebration for Israel’s Independence Day.

Two Student Protestors Arrested at Rave for Israel’s 70th Birthday in WSPZionist groups Realize Israel and TorchPAC organized a rave in Washington Square Park on Friday afternoon to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Israel’s Independence Day. Members of anti-Zionist grouhttps://nyunews.com/2018/04/27/jvp-protesters-arrested-at-rave-for-israels-70th-birthday-in-wsp/

That same semester, more than 50 NYU student groups aligned themselves with the group that burned the flag and endorsed the BDS movement.

50+ NYU Student Groups Endorse Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement for Palestinian Human…We, the undersigned student groups, pledge to participate in the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian human rights by This year marks the 70th anniversary of the…https://medium.com/@nyusjp/50-nyu-student-groups-endorse-boycott-divestment-and-sanctions-movement-for-palestinian-human-c27786ddc233

Emboldened by the relative inaction by the university, in December 2018 SJP pushes a resolution to end NYU’s Tel Aviv study abroad program.

SGA Approves BDS Resolution By a Two-Vote Margin – NYU LocalThe NYU Student Government Assembly (SGA) held a secret ballot at their Dec. 6 meeting, voting to pass the proposed BDS resolution. The resolution passed with 35 for, 14 against, and 14 abstained…https://nyulocal.com/sga-approves-bds-resolution-with-two-vote-margin-f60ffe7653ef

Just days after this resolution passes, the Hillel building at NYU is forced to closed for security reasons following the discovery of anti-Semitic, threatening posts from an NYU student. The posts including the terms “nyjews” and “zionist kkkunts.”

Bronfman Center for Jewish Life Temporarily Closes Over Threatening PostsEarly Wednesday morning, the Bronfman Center for Jewish Life at NYU sent out an email alerting students that it would be temporarily closed, citing, “several public online postings by an NYU student…https://nyulocal.com/bronfman-center-for-jewish-life-temporarily-closes-over-threatening-posts-5be92f43440c

In March 2019, half a dozen NYU departments cosponsor an on-campus event featuring Linda Sarsour. The event is held while many Jewish students are out of town for a conference and unable to defend against Sarsour’s blatant lies. apa.nyu.edu/event/skirball… 

On May 2, as Jews around the world (and on NYU’s campus) commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day, NYU’s Department of Social and Cultural Analysis ends its relationship with NYU Tel Aviv.

NYU Department of Social and Cultural Analysis ends official relationship with Tel Aviv campus“Of course, there are students and faculty who cannot go there so it’s not a level playing field,” Ross explained. “Their academic freedom is already being restricted and of course, that’s the motiva…https://www.newsweek.com/nyu-department-social-and-cultural-analysis-ends-official-relationship-tel-1413426

Also earlier this month, Students for Justice in Palestine, an organized that less than a year ago burned an Israeli flag and saw its members arrested, received NYU’s Presidential Service Award.

NYU Students for Justice in Palestine Receives Service Award From President HamiltonNYU Students for Justice in Palestine — which often conflicts with the university’s administration — was selected to receive the President’s Service Award, the group announced on Facebook on Ahttps://nyunews.com/news/2019/04/10/president-service-award-palestine-israel-divest/

When President Hamilton received pushback re: SJP receiving the award, his choice was:

A. To revoke the award
B. To allow SJP to receive the award

Hamilton chose B and himself did not attend the awards ceremony. Not quite a profile in courage.

NYU president says he didn’t support award for Students for Justice in PalestineAndrew Hamilton says group is 'divisive' in article challenging accusations of anti-Semitism at the educational institutionhttps://www.timesofisrael.com/nyu-president-says-he-didnt-support-award-for-students-for-justice-in-palestine/

And there you have it, my friends. The decision to turn down an acceptance to a prestigious university is a personal and difficult one. But it’s reflective of the increasingly anti-Semitic climate that NYU has done relatively little to stop over the last year. 

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