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UNC Professor Doubles Down, Continues to Explain and Justify Hamas Massacre
Students sit on the steps of Wilson Library on the campus of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S., September 20, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake
On October 7, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, killing 1,200 people, taking more than 240 hostages, and raping and torturing many others.
The next day, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) proclaimed on social media, “It is our moral obligation to be in solidarity with the dispossessed, no matter the pathway to liberation they choose to take. This includes violence.”
Many view this statement as endorsing and justifying both Hamas and the October 7 pogrom.
On October 31, UNC Professor E. Chebrolu read this SJP proclamation to his Rhetoric and Public Issues class and told students: “That’s a true statement. I’m going to be honest. There’s nothing wrong with what SJP said.”
Chebrolu omitted that SJP had deleted the post within days of making it.
On October 26, the US Senate voted unanimously to condemn college antisemitism, specifically mentioning the UNC SJP post. Chebrolu condemned the Senate for this, telling students, “They just don’t want you to think about Palestinian kids and adults as human beings. And instead they want you to think about your fellow students, who care about justice, uh, that they’re a bunch of little Hitlers running around.”
Chebrolu complained that even “Bernie f***ng Sanders” joined this unanimous Senate vote.
Chebrolu added, “The United States government is trying to cover up a genocide and make you all want it, desire it.” Chebrolu told tell the class, “I know Joe Biden does not give a f*** what I say, obviously” and “Gandhi kind of sucks.”
Also on October 31, Chebrolu told students that Israel is “a clearly fascist state committing a genocide under the guise of it supposedly being the only democracy in the Middle East.” He complained about what he perceives as misguided accusations of antisemitism related to Israel, calling it “increasingly just bullshit factory.”
As I recently reported, Chebrolu told students on October 17 that “Israel and the United States do not give a shit about international law or war crimes,” “The attack by Hamas was not senseless, there is context,” and “The majority of Palestinians are children. They are seen as legitimate targets of violence.”
He twice told students that the existence of Israel is “somewhat ridiculous.”
When asked if Hamas had returned the hostages, Chebrolu responded by telling students he believed Israel was looking “to find an excuse” to invade Gaza. Likely realizing he went too far, Chebrolu added, “But it’s not something I should have said just now.”
A widely circulated petition written by “UNC Students, Parents, Alumni, Faculty, Staff, Friends, and Donors” calls on UNC to protect Jewish students and to stop antisemitism on campus. Chebrolu’s class was one of many concerns mentioned in the petition.
On November 14, Chebrolu complained to his class that he was likely included in the petition because “I have a foreign sounding last name.”
Chebrolu told students he was “sad” that “somebody felt the need to record me without my knowledge.” He added, “I don’t really regret doing the lecture stuff … I only regret the fact that I didn’t make you all feel like you could have an honest conversation with me about your disagreements.”
Chebrolu is scheduled to teach two UNC classes in the Spring of 2024.
Peter Reitzes writes about issues related to antisemitism and Israel.
The post UNC Professor Doubles Down, Continues to Explain and Justify Hamas Massacre first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Pounds Gaza City Suburbs, Vows to Press on with Offensive
Smoke rises following an Israeli strike, in Gaza City, August 24, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Israeli planes and tanks pounded the eastern and northern outskirts of Gaza City overnight Saturday to Sunday, destroying buildings and homes, residents said, as Israeli leaders vowed to press on with a planned offensive on the city.
Witnesses reported the sound of explosions non-stop overnight in the areas of Zeitoun and Shejaia, while tanks shelled houses and roads in the nearby Sabra neighborhood and several buildings were blown up in the northern town of Jabalia.
Fire lit the skies from the direction of the explosions, causing panic, prompting some families to stream out of the city. Others said they would prefer to die and not leave.
The Israeli military said on Sunday that its forces have returned to combat in the Jabalia area in recent days, to dismantle militant tunnels and strengthen control of the area.
It added that the operation there “enables the expansion of combat into additional areas and prevents Hamas terrorists from returning to operate in these areas.”
Israel approved a plan this month to seize control of Gaza City, describing it as the last bastion of Hamas. It is not expected to begin for a few weeks, leaving room for mediators Egypt and Qatar to try and resume ceasefire talks.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday vowed to press on with the offensive on the city where famine has been declared, which has raised alarm abroad and objections at home. Katz has said that Gaza City will be razed unless Hamas agrees to end the war on Israel’s terms and release all hostages.
Hamas said in a statement on Sunday that Israel’s plan to take over Gaza City showed it wasn’t serious about a ceasefire.
It said a ceasefire agreement was “the only way to return the hostages,” holding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for their lives.
The proposal on the table calls for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 living hostages held in Gaza and of 18 bodies. In turn, Israel would release about 200 long-serving Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Once a temporary ceasefire begins, the proposal is for Hamas and Israel to begin negotiations on a permanent ceasefire that would include the return of the remaining hostages.
On Thursday, Netanyahu said that Israel would immediately resume negotiations for the release of all 50 hostages – of whom Israel believes around 20 are still living – and an end to the nearly two-year-old war but on terms acceptable to Israel.
‘HUNGRY AND AFRAID’
Around half of the enclave’s two million people currently live in Gaza City. A few thousand have already left, carrying their belongings on vehicles and rickshaws.
“I stopped counting the times I had to take my wife and three daughters and leave my home in Gaza City,” said Mohammad, 40, via a chat app. “No place is safe, but I can’t take the risk. If they suddenly begin the invasion, they will use heavy fire.”
Others said they will not leave, no matter what.
“We are not leaving, let them bomb us at home,” said Aya, 31, who has a family of eight, adding that they couldn’t afford to buy a tent or pay for the transportation, even if they did try to leave. “We are hungry, afraid and don’t have money.”
A global hunger monitor said on Friday that Gaza City and surrounding areas are officially suffering from famine that will likely spread. Israel has rejected the assessment and says it ignores steps it has taken since late July to increase aid.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led gunmen burst into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
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Iran Signals Willingness to Scale Back Uranium Enrichment to Ease Tensions
Atomic symbol and USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, September 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
i24 News – Iran may be prepared to significantly reduce its uranium enrichment levels in a bid to stave off renewed UN sanctions and limit the risk of further strikes by Israel and the United States, according to a report published Sunday in The Telegraph.
Citing Iranian sources, the paper said Tehran is considering lowering enrichment from 60% to 20%.
The move is reportedly being championed by Ali Larijani, the newly appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who is holding talks with regime leaders.
“Larijani is trying to convince the system to reduce the level of enrichment in order to avoid further war,” a senior Iranian official told the paper.
The proposal, however, faces stiff resistance from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has long opposed concessions on the nuclear program. Still, the report suggests Iran’s leadership may be open to greater flexibility, including the possibility of reviving engagement with Western powers.
Last month, i24NEWS reported exclusively that a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to travel to Iran. The team of technical experts would seek to resume monitoring of nuclear sites, inspections that have been heavily restricted in recent years.
The development comes amid mounting regional tensions and could represent a critical turning point in the long-running nuclear standoff.
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Major Brush Fire Erupts Near Jerusalem, Evacuations Underway
A view of the new Tel Aviv-Jerusalem fast train seen over the HaArazim Valley (“Valley of Cedars”) just outside of Jerusalem, Sept. 25, 2018. Photo: Yossi Zamir/Flash90.
i24 News – A large brush fire broke out Sunday in the Cedars Valley area, near Route 1 and the Motza interchange, prompting an emergency response from Jerusalem district fire services. Several water-bombing planes were dispatched, and authorities have declared a “fire emergency.”
As a precaution, residents of Mevaseret Zion are being evacuated. Access to the town from Route 1 has already been blocked, and officials are weighing a full closure of the major highway.
Fire crews from the Ha’uma station are on site working to contain the flames, while motorists in the area are urged to heed traffic updates and follow instructions from emergency services.
Eight firefighting aircraft are currently operating above the blaze in support of ground teams. The fire comes amid one of the hottest, driest summers on record, with conditions fueling a series of destructive wildfires across the country.
Officials warn the situation remains critical, as the blaze threatens a vital transportation corridor leading into Jerusalem.