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I’m a CUNY Student — Political Leaders Are Failing Our Jewish Community
Protesters gathered at CUNY Chancellor Felix V. Matos Rodriguez’s office under the mantra ‘End Jew Hatred’ to protest growing antisemitism within CUNY and their campuses on Sept. 12, 2023. Photo by Meir Chaimowitz/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect
During the past year, college campuses across the country have been beset with protests, violence, threats of violence, and discrimination against Jews.
After Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization, attacked Israel on October 7 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) empowered Judge Jonathan Lippman, former Chief Judge of New York and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, to review antisemitism and discrimination more broadly inside the City University of New York school system (CUNY).
His report, released on September 24, 2024, has raised many eyebrows.
The New York Times coverage of the report focused on Judge Lippman’s recommendation for a complete overhaul of the discrimination reporting system at CUNY, but implied that the problem of antisemitism was not — in fact — widespread.
That claim is heavily misleading, and ignores the main takeaway of his report.
While Judge Lippman did say that there are “few incidents of physical violence,” he very clearly emphasized the seriousness of the pervasive nature of antisemitism at CUNY.
For example, Lippman observed that “Some of the schools … had a significant number of reported incidents of antisemitism,” adding later that “schools with backlogs of complaints are more likely to become safe havens for perpetrators of antisemitism and discrimination.”
Moreover, his research revealed that the collection methods of the schools studied were so confusing that he and his attorneys had difficulty navigating the discrimination report portal.
According to the report, “[i]t is unreasonable to think that the average student, faculty member, or employee can navigate the investigative process on their own.” Lippman concluded that given the difficulty in navigating the system, it is more than likely that reports of antisemitic conduct are underrepresented in the antisemitic databases. Thus, the problem of antisemitism is likely more pervasive than originally thought.
The Times’ assessment of the report failed to recognize this central takeaway.
Moreover, Lippman clearly implicated the major failings of CUNY at the hands of the Chief Diversity Officers (CDO) at each campus, whose responsibility is to investigate antisemitic incidents.
At the same time, the judge reported that many of these CDOs were either unaware of relevant civil rights laws pertaining to Jews, or disagreed with established laws defending Jews.
As the report notes, “chief diversity officers must be trained on the requirements of the law and cannot gauge the propriety of conduct based on their personal views of what constitutes antisemitism. They must be guided by what the law applicable to CUNY dictates — even if that involves applications or interpretations of a definition of antisemitism with which they disagree.”
This is a shocking takeaway — that the very people whose job it is to know discrimination law are unaware of the law, and disagree with the ways in which it applies to Jews.
Lippman further said that “CUNY would be well-advised to consider whether future investigations of hate in any form should continue to reside within individual school diversity offices.”
Considering that this June, the US Department of Justice found that CUNY has a history of improperly investigating similar discrimination cases, the judge’s observations and advice in this regard are spot on.
Hochul’s directive to implement Lippman’s suggestions is welcome, but what people think that some formal training on antisemitism will suddenly cause these CDOs to care about our complaints?
As the report has shown, many have willfully ignored us and will likely continue to do so regardless of the mandatory training they receive. Chief Diversity Officers are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
Jewish students need help, and with increasing certainty, we know it will not come from our schools. We must now look either to more forceful action from federal, state and local leaders.
Gideon Askowitz is a CAMERA Fellow and an alumnus of the Hertog Political and Constitutional Studies Programs. He also regularly appears on Fox News to discuss politics and antisemitism.
The post I’m a CUNY Student — Political Leaders Are Failing Our Jewish Community first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
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Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
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Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.