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Protests Disrupt Princeton Event Featuring Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett
An event hosted by Princeton University’s Center of Jewish Life (CJL) featuring former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett experienced significant disruption on Monday night. The proceedings were marked by protests and a fire alarm, leading attendees to engage in spontaneous singing, influencing the atmosphere and the event’s conclusion.
During the event, held in McCosh Hall and attended by approximately 200 students, protesters voiced their opposition vocally. It began around 20 minutes into an off-the-record discussion when a group of demonstrators began chanting, “Naftali Bennett, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide,” as captured in video footage from inside the hall. This was led by a student unmistakably invested in the protest, who directly confronted Bennett with a statement regarding alleged casualties among children.
Princeton sophomore Max Meyer was in attendance and expressed concern over the event’s early termination. He stated, “As a sophomore, last night was the first time that I’ve seen a speaker event fully shut down by a student group-led protest. Anti-Israel agitators committed criminal acts in a concerted assault on the free speech of an invited guest at our university.” Meyer’s remarks illustrate the growing tensions surrounding academic discussions about Israel and Palestine on college campuses.
Maintaining Dialogue Amidst Tensions
The CJL Director, Rabbi Gil Steinlauf, served as moderator for the event. Amid the shouting, Bennett attempted to address his critics. In a response to intense accusations regarding violence, Bennett was noted to have remarked, “Instead of whining for the past 80 years and building your own future, you have focused on killing the Jews. It’s time the Palestinians stopped whining.” This exchange was part of a broader, charged atmosphere that highlighted deep divisions over the contentious issues at stake.
The event faced further complications when a fire alarm was activated, resulting in chaos as attendees began to sing “Hatikvah,” Israel’s national anthem, alongside other songs as the gathering concluded under tumultuous circumstances. Rabbi Eitan Webb, from the Scharf Family Chabad House, continued to advocate for bringing speakers to campus, emphasizing the importance of narratives being framed from their perspective, stating, “Not only was the community not deterred, the community was energized.”
University Response to Protests
Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber condemned the behavior exhibited during the event. He expressed his dismay regarding the antisemitic rhetoric reported from within the protests. In a statement, he noted, “Such behavior is reprehensible and intolerable,” adding that the university would investigate the incidents and seek disciplinary measures against any community members involved. Eisgruber acknowledged that one individual involved in the disruption was not affiliated with Princeton, indicating a broader issue of protests spilling over into academic spaces.
Meyer criticized the university’s handling of the situation, calling for better enforcement of free speech regulations. He asserted that these existing frameworks were designed to protect minority voices on campus and emphasized the necessity of upholding those principles to prevent scenarios similar to the disruption experienced at Bennett’s event. He appreciated Eisgruber’s acknowledgment of the events and the president’s subsequent apology to Bennett for the lack of a conducive environment for discussion.
Community Reactions
The event’s incidents underscore the broader national dialogue surrounding free speech and the challenges faced by academic institutions in balancing diverse perspectives. As debates over Israel and Palestine become increasingly polarized, it remains vital for colleges to navigate these discussions thoughtfully, ensuring that events can proceed without significant interruption while also recognizing the rights of students to express dissent.
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