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700 George Washington University Affiliates Call for Rescission of Diploma Over Anti-Zionist Commencement Speech
Graduating George Washington University senior Cecilia Culver delivering a surprise anti-Zionist commencement speech in May 2025. Photo: Screenshot.
Over 700 affiliates of George Washington University (GW) have signed an open letter urging school officials to withhold the diploma of a student who used her commencement speech to lodge spurious accusations of apartheid and genocide against Israel, a notion trafficked by neo-Nazi groups and jihadist terror organizations.
As previously reported by The Algemeiner, the student, Cecilia Culver, accused Israel of targeting Palestinians “simply for [their] remaining in the country of their ancestors” and said that GW students are passive contributors to the “imperialist system.” An economics and statistics major, Culver deceived administrators who selected her to address the Columbian College of the Arts and Sciences ceremony, the university said in a statement issued after the remarks circulated on social media.
“I am ashamed to know my tuition is being used to fund genocide,” Culver said, prompting waves of applause and exclamations of support. “Every year, the cost of attending this university increases without a corresponding improvement in the facilities and resources provided to students, staff, and faculty. Instead, our money is put into the pockets of those who unequivocally prove time and time again they do not care about the students and faculty that [sic] create this university’s prestigious university [sic].”
Culver also charged that GW has “blood” on its hands.
Now, over 700 affiliates of the university — a figure which includes students, parents, and alumni — are calling for Culver’s diploma to be withheld indefinitely as punishment for what they described as her ruining graduation for hundreds of Jewish students and families.
“To set an affirmative precedent for ensuring a safe and welcoming community at GW, swift and serious action must be taken. The undersigned therefore strongly urge the immediate rescission of Cecilia Culver’s diploma until she issues a public apology retracting her statement to the university community, acknowledging the antisemitic nature and inappropriateness of her conduct. Comparable disciplinary action was taken by NYU [New York University] under similar circumstances; GW must hold itself to a no lower standard,” said Tuesday’s open letter, authored by another graduating GW senior, Sabrina Soffer.
The letter noted that during Culver’s speech, the master of ceremonies, gender and sexuality professor Dr. Kavita Daiya, appeared elated and thanked Culver, for “sharing your words and your views,” insisting that she too must “apologize for her role in legitimizing and appearing to support Culver’s incitement, rather than giving it no attention at all, cutting the microphone, or making an unambiguous statement condemning Culver’s speech as inappropriate and hateful.”
It continued, “Regardless of intentions, harm was caused by Dean Daiya’s actions, or lack thereof. Anything less would signal that rules at GW are optional — and that the administration is willing to tolerate the politicization of sacred academic milestones and the demonization of entire communities under the guise of so-called social justice activism.”
Responding to an inquiry about the letter, a GW spokeswoman referred The Algemeiner to a statement issued on Tuesday. It said: “We deeply regret that this moment of special celebration was violated for our students, their families, and other members of our community by this speaker, a former student who earned her degree in December of 2024. The speaker’s conduct during Saturday’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Celebration event was inappropriate and dishonest: the speaker submitted and recited in rehearsal very different remarks than those she delivered at the ceremony. The speaker has been barred from all GW campuses and sponsored events elsewhere. We are conducting a thorough review of the incident, and will take appropriate accountability actions.”
Soffer told The Algemeiner in a statement that GW does not have the option of pretending that Culver’s speech did not happen.
“The idea that the university can simply release a statement and move on without taking meaningful action points to a serious accountability crisis,” she said. “That must change. GW has the opportunity to demonstrate to its community that it upholds its values and policies — not just in words, but through real, swift consequences. Let’s be clear: turning a graduation ceremony into a platform for a hateful political tirade — of any kind — does not champion free speech. Instead, it infringes on everyone’s right to celebrate and enjoy the occasion for what it is meant to be: a shared moment of achievement and unity.”
As previously reported by The Algemeiner, George Washington University has become a hub of extreme anti-Zionist activity that school officials have struggled to quell. A major source of such conduct has been Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which recently escalated its behavior by issuing an ominous warning to a professor who was involved in crafting a proposal to relocate Palestinians in Gaza.
“This notice is to inform you that you are hereby evicted from the premises of the George Washington University,” SJP wrote in a missive it taped to the office door of international affairs professor Joseph Pelzman, who first shared the resettlement plan with Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in July 2024, according to an account of events he described to the podcast “America, Baby!” the following month.
Denouncing Pelzman as the “architect of genocide,” SJP added, “Pelzman’s tenure is only one pernicious symptom of the bloodthirsty Zionism permeating our campus … The proprietors of this eviction notice demand your immediate removal.”
SJP’s threat to Pelzman, an accomplished academic who has focused heavily on the Middle East region, came as the group served probation for breaking a slew of school rules during the 2023-2024 academic year — a term which saw it heap abuse on school officials, visitors to campus representing former US President Joe Biden’s administration, and African Americans. Earlier this year, SJP held a “teach-in” that commemorated the First Intifada, an outbreak of Palestinian terrorism which began in December 1987 and, lasting for nearly six years, claimed the lives of scores of Israelis.
The group is currently suspended, according to The GW Hatchet, as the university has decided it is “a threat to the stability and continuance of normal university functions.”
GW faculty have also contributed to the promotion of anti-Zionism on campus. In 2023, former psychology professor Lara Sheehi was accused of verbally abusing and discriminating against her Jewish graduate students.
As recounted by a civil rights complaint filed by StandWithUs, Sheehi expressed contempt for Jews when, on the first day of term in August 2022, she asked every student to share information about their backgrounds and cultures. Replying to a student who revealed that she was Israeli, Sheehi said, “It’s not your fault you were born in Israel.” Jewish students said they made several attempts to persuade the university to correct Sheehi’s behavior or arrange an alternative option for fulfilling the requirements of her course. Each time, StandWithUs alleged, administrators said nothing could be done.
Later, the complaint added, Sheehi spread rumors that her Jewish students were “combative” racists and filed misconduct charges against them. One student told The Algemeiner at the time that she never learned what university policies Sheehi accused her and her classmates of violating.
In April, the advocacy group GWU Jewish Pulse — founded by author Lea Wolf, Soffer’s mother — told the university in an open letter that it must address these issues before deeming it appropriate to solicit donations from community members who feel that it has failed to curb hatred and discriminatory practices that would not be tolerated were they perpetrated against other minority groups.
“Before asking parents and alumni to contribute financially, perhaps it is time to confront the environment the university has actively cultivated — and what, if any, meaningful measures have been offered to Jewish students amid rising hostility, blatant hatred, and a stream of empty institutional platitudes,” said the letter. “For many families, George Washington University has indeed been transformational — but due to the intense and painful realization that GW is tolerant of Hamas propaganda and is willing to sacrifice its Jewish community in pursuit of financial gain, shielding liability, and a dangerous political agenda.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
The post 700 George Washington University Affiliates Call for Rescission of Diploma Over Anti-Zionist Commencement Speech first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US Justice Department Sues California Coffee House for Alleged Discrimination Against Jewish Customers
US Attorney General Pam Bondi attends a press conference in Washington, DC, US, May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
The US Department of Justice has sued an Oakland, California, business accused of denying service to Jewish and pro-Israel customers, an alleged act of discrimination that would violate federal civil rights statutes.
Justice Department officials on Monday said they pursued litigation under Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — a provision of the law which proscribes denying public accommodations based on race, color, religion, or national origin.
“It is illegal, intolerable, and reprehensible for any American business open to the public to refuse to serve Jewish customers,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in a statement announcing the action. “Through our vigorous enforcement of Title II of the Civil Rights Act and other laws prohibiting race and religious discrimination, the Justice Department is committed to combatting antisemitism and discrimination and protecting the civil rights of all Americans.”
As previously reported by The Algemeiner, Jerusalem Coffee House owner Abdulrahim Harara in October confronted Jonathan Hirsch, a Jewish man who was wearing a hat emblazoned with a Star of David patch, charging that the apparel carried a “violent” connotation and labeled him as a “Zionist” — a perceived offense for which he demanded that Hirsch leave the premises without completing his order.
“You’re being asked to leave. You’re causing a disruption. This is a private business. You’re being asked to leave,” Harara was overheard saying in footage of the incident. “This is a violent hat, and you need to leave … Get out!”
The police soon arrived and recommended that Hirsch leave when anti-Israel protesters started arriving.
The Jerusalem Coffee House, which celebrates Palestinian culture, has previously stirred controversy for offering two drinks that seemingly indicate support for the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and violence against Israel. One drink is called “Iced In Tea Fada,” a reference to extended periods of Palestinian terrorism perpetrated against Israel known as “intifadas,” or violent uprisings. The other drink is called is called the “Sweet Sinwar.” Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces last year, was the leader of Hamas and mastermind of the terrorist group’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel. While the drinks were debuted on the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 atrocities, Harara denied that the drink was named after the terrorist leader.
Hirsch is not the only Jewish patron who was allegedly refused service by Harara. In June 2024, local nonprofit director Michael Radice, who is Jewish, was wearing a cap which said “Am Yisrael Chai [Long Live Israel]” at Jerusalem Coffee House when Harara and another employee began shouting “Jew” and “Zionist” at him, according to court documents. The two men menacingly pursued Radice into the street, forcing him to maneuver around a parked car to create a defensive barrier against their advance, prosecutors alleged.
“Neither customer stated anything about their political views to Harara or any other employees while at the coffee house,” the Justice Department said on Monday. “The lawsuit further alleges that the coffee house’s exterior side wall displays inverted red triangles, a symbol of violence against Jews that has been spray painted on Jewish homes and synagogues during antisemitic attacks.”
The Trump administration’s Justice Department has launched a robust effort to fight antisemitism at every level of society. In February, it created a “multi-agency” Task Force to Combat Antisemitism. Its “first priority will be to root out antisemitic harassment in schools and on college campuses,” the department said in a press release, which noted that the group will be housed inside the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and include representatives from the departments of education and health and human services.
The announcement came less than a week after US President Donald Trump directed federal agencies to combat campus antisemitism and hold pro-terror extremists accountable for the harassment of Jewish students, fulfilling a promise he made while campaigning for a second term in office. Continuing work started started during his first administration — when Trump issued Executive Order 13899 to ensure that civil rights law apply equally Jews — the new executive order, titled, “Additional Measures to Combat Antisemitism” calls for “using all appropriate legal tools to prosecute, remove, or otherwise … hold to account perpetrators of unlawful antisemitic harassment and violence.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
The post US Justice Department Sues California Coffee House for Alleged Discrimination Against Jewish Customers first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israeli Runners Harassed at South Africa’s Comrades Marathon After ANC Calls for Their Exclusion
Israeli athletes were harassed by members of the African National Congress (ANC) during South Africa’s Comrades Marathon on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Photo: Screenshot
Israeli athletes were harassed by members of the African National Congress (ANC) during South Africa’s Comrades Marathon on Sunday, after the youth wing of the largest political party in the South African government’s ruling coalition called for their exclusion from the race — an incident that has sparked international outrage and condemnation.
Every year, South Africa hosts the Comrades Marathon, the world’s oldest ultramarathon spanning 54 miles (87 kilometers) through the province of KwaZulu-Natal, in the southeast of the country. This year, the race drew nearly 19,000 runners from more than 80 countries.
Prior to the marathon, the ANC Youth League for the province of KwaZulu-Natal (ANCYL-KZN) publicly released the names and race numbers of the Israeli runners in a statement that called on organizers to “reverse” their decision to allow them to compete.
“Symbolic acts of international solidarity must translate into tangible actions,” the youth league said in the statement.
“Allowing representatives of an apartheid state to participate in an event as iconic and morally significant as the Comrades Marathon sends a dangerous and conflicting message, one that undermines the very principles this race has come to embody such as unity, sacrifice and justice,” the statement continued.
Despite being allowed to compete, Israeli runners were harassed along the course by ANC members waving Palestinian flags.
Some carried signs accusing Israel of “war crimes,” while others shouted antisemitic slogans such as, “Down, down Israel, you are not welcome here” and “This is not your land — go home!”
The @MYANC @ANCYLhq published names and badge numbers of Israeli participants in @ComradesRace. They then tracked and harassed them.
@GaytonMcK, would love your thoughts.. pic.twitter.com/ClrJWonJMR— Howard Feldman (@HowardFeldman) June 9, 2025
The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD), the umbrella group of the country’s Jewish community, condemned the incident, describing the attacks by “anti-Israel protesters” on Israeli runners as “the antithesis of the very spirit of the Comrades.”
“We are equally dismayed by the ANCYL in KwaZulu-Natal’s statement calling for the exclusion of Israeli athletes, identified by name and race number, to facilitate targeted harassment. This is a form of doxing, which is reprehensible,” SAJBD said in the statement.
“The harassment of these athletes exemplifies the anti-Israeli movement’s unwanted and unconstitutional exploitation of public spaces to antagonize and intimidate those who challenge its narrow political bent,” the statement continued.
“These theatrical displays make no contribution toward improving or saving a single life in Gaza,” SAJBD added.
The European Jewish Association (EJA) also denounced the harassment, warning of its dangerous consequences.
“When the names of Jews or Israelis are deliberately published like this — especially after the horrifying incidents we’ve seen in the US in recent weeks — it’s not activism, and it’s certainly not politics,” EJA wrote in a post on X, referring to the shooting of two Israel embassy staffers in Washington, DC last month and the firebombing of a pro-Israel gathering in Boulder, Colorado less than two weeks later.
“It’s hatred. And it’s a call for violence,” the group said.
When the names of Jews or Israelis are deliberately published like this — especially after the horrifying incidents we’ve seen in the U.S. in recent weeks — it’s not activism, and it’s certainly not politics.
It’s hatred.
And it’s a call for violence.Did the ANC members who… https://t.co/XU42nu4Wxa
— EJA – EIPA (@EJAssociation) June 10, 2025
The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) also condemned the harassment of Israeli participants, stating that such actions reinforce the ANC’s apparent intent to alienate and marginalize those with differing views.
“This action is not an isolated occurrence. It forms part of a broader, deliberate campaign to denormalize Israelis and the Jewish connection to Israel in South Africa, and to discriminate against them,” SAZF told The Algemeiner. “For a minority community, this kind of targeted hostility is deeply concerning and creates an atmosphere of fear and exclusion.”
“We call on the Comrades Marathon organizers to investigate how such blatant discrimination was allowed to occur at a major sporting event, and we will engage the relevant authorities to demand concrete action that ensures the safety, dignity, and equal treatment of all participants in the future,” the group continued.
Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the South African government has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel on the international stage, repeatedly targeting the Jewish state through diplomatic actions.
Since December 2023, South Africa has been pursuing its case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of committing “state-led genocide” in its defensive war against the Palestinian terrorist group in Gaza.
Israeli leaders have condemned the case as an “obscene exploitation” of the Genocide Convention, noting that the Jewish state is targeting terrorists who use civilians as human shields in its military campaign.
Last year, the ICJ ruled there was “plausibility” to South Africa’s claims that Palestinians had a right to be protected from genocide. However, the top UN court did not make a determination on the merits of South Africa’s allegations, which may take years to go through the judicial process.
Instead, the ICJ issued a more general directive that Israel must make sure it prevents acts of genocide. The ruling also called for the release of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas during the terrorist group’s Oct. 7 rampage.
The ruling ANC lost its majority in parliament last year for the first time in South Africa’s post-apartheid democratic history. However, it still remained the largest party and retained power at the national level through a coalition.
The post Israeli Runners Harassed at South Africa’s Comrades Marathon After ANC Calls for Their Exclusion first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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All Jewish Groups, Synagogues Withdraw From San Diego Pride Festival Due to Kehlani Performance
Kehlani walking on the red carpet during the 67th Grammy Awards held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA on Feb. 2, 2025. Photo: Elyse Jankowski/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
All of the Jewish organizations and synagogues that were set to participate in this year’s Pride Festival in San Diego announced on Friday their decision to withdraw from the event due to “serious safety concerns” surrounding the headlining performance by anti-Israel R&B singer Kehlani.
Eight San Diego-based Jewish groups and synagogues, including the Jewish Federation of San Diego and Anti-Defamation League of San Diego, said they made the decision after organizers of the festival refused to cancel Kehlani’s performance and ignored concerns about what they described as the singer’s antisemitic behavior.
“In light of San Diego Pride’s decision to allow musical artist Kehlani to remain a headliner at this year’s Pride Festival despite Kehlani’s repeated amplification of violent antisemitic rhetoric, all participating Jewish organizations and synagogues — many of which have marched with, volunteered for, or supported Pride for years — will be withdrawing from the 2025 event due to serious safety concerns,” the Jewish groups and synagogues announced in a joint statement.
San Diego Pride is set to take place July 19-20 at Marston Point in Balboa Park. Last month, nearly three dozen Jewish organizations released a statement urging festival organizers to reconsider having Kehlani perform at the event. The Jewish groups that released a statement on Friday said last month’s appeal “has thus far gone unanswered, and as a result, there will be no organized Jewish presence at San Diego Pride this year.”
Kehlani has been highly critical of Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war. She has accused Israel of genocide and shared a number of anti-Israel and anti-Zionist posts on social media. In one Instagram post, she wrote: “Dismantle Israel. Eradicate Zionism.” She also posted an image that called for Israel to be removed off the map and replaced with “Palestine.” Last year, she shared the message “Long Live the Intifada,” a phrase that invokes violence against Israel and the Jewish community, in the opening of a music video for “Next 2 U.”
Kehlani has also criticized other artists for staying silent about Israel’s military actions in the war. In a video on X, she said, “It’s f—k Israel, it’s f—k Zionism, and it’s also f—k a lot of y;all too.”
The eight Jewish groups and synagogues that released the joint statement on Friday said Kehlani’s antisemitic and anti-Israel messages are not only “dehumanizing,” but “history has shown that when they are normalized and platformed, they can lead to real-world violence against Jews.”
They referenced the two recent terrorist attacks in Boulder, Colorado, and Washington, DC, and noted that the assailants behind both incidents shared “hateful rhetoric” similar to what Kehlani has been promoting. They added that the two attacks “have intensified fears among Jewish San Diegans, underscoring the dangerous consequences of unchecked antisemitism in public spaces.”
“As a queer, a Jew, a Zionist and as someone who is horrified at the suffering in Gaza, I will not be participating in Pride this year — and neither should any organization that claims to be inclusive and strives to be a safe place for all,” said Laura Stratton, a member of Temple Emanu-El of San Diego and the LGBTQ+ community who has been attending and volunteering for Pride festivals in San Diego and other cities for more than 35 years.
The festival’s volunteer director of medical operations and assistant director of medical operations, Dr. Jennifer Anger and Eliyahu Cohen-Mizrahi, respectively, have also withdrawn their involvement in the festival due to Kehlani’s scheduled performance.
“My role at Pride has always been to ensure the health and safety of everyone attending, but as a Jewish San Diegan, I can no longer ignore the very real risks that come with normalizing hate speech like the kind Kehlani has promoted,” said Anger, who has volunteered as a medical director for the festival for the last two years.
“It’s heartbreaking to step away from an event I’ve supported for years, but when the Jewish community’s safety is treated as negotiable, we’re left with no choice. Pride should be a place of healing and inclusion — not one that turns its back on a community in pain.”
Kehlani was set to perform at a concert in New York City later this month, but it was canceled in May after organizers faced pressure from New York City Mayor Eric Adams and other pro-Israel supporters because of the singer’s actions targeting the Jewish community. The cancellation was announced shortly after Cornell University’s decision to also cancel a performance by Kehlani.
In their joint statement on Friday, the San Diego-based Jewish groups and synagogues said San Diego Pride organizers “still has the chance to course correct and restore Pride as a space where all communities feel genuinely included and safe” by disinviting Kehlani from the event.
“Jewish groups continue to urge San Diego Pride organizers to reflect on the message being sent by continuing to feature Kehlani — and whether safety and equal rights can truly be hallmarks of this event under the present circumstances,” they said.
The statement came out as a new report by the nonprofit A Wider Bridge detailed how anti-Israel activists in the LGBTQ+ community are subjecting Zionist Jews to extreme levels of discrimination, including expulsions from major progressive groups and even physical assault.
“Now more than ever, Pride should be a celebration of inclusion and solidarity, not a platform for divisive voices that incite hatred and violence,” said Heidi Gantwerk, president and CEO of Jewish Federation of San Diego County. “As we’ve seen in DC and Boulder, when antisemitism is ignored or tolerated, it fuels a culture that leads to violence. We cannot wait for tragedy to strike our own community — again — before we act.”
On the red carpet at the American Music Awards in late May, Kehlani talked to Variety about why she feels the need to be outspoken about Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and concluded her remarks by saying, “Free Palestine.”
“It shouldn’t be a hard thing … It should be second nature if people are being blown up and being murdered at mass rates. It should be as easy as breathing to just say, ‘Hey, I don’t really think this should be happening. Maybe we should stop.’ And we’re funding it,” she said. “All I can say is, Free Palestine.”
Kehlani claimed that she is not antisemitic in an Instagram video uploaded in late April. “I am not antisemitic, nor anti-Jew. I am anti-genocide. I am anti-the actions of the Israeli government,” she stated in the video. “I am anti-the extermination of an entire people, I am anti-the bombing of innocent children, men [and] women. That’s what I’m anti.”
The post All Jewish Groups, Synagogues Withdraw From San Diego Pride Festival Due to Kehlani Performance first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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