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‘Harvard Has Caved In’: Pro-Hamas Demonstrators Celebrate ‘Student Intifada’ After School ‘Downgrades’ Punishments
Demonstrators take their “Emergency Rally: Stand with Palestinians Under Siege in Gaza” out of Harvard University and onto the streets of Harvard Square, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, Oct.14, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Harvard University has “downgraded” the disciplinary sanctions it levied against several pro-Hamas protesters it punished for illegally occupying Harvard Yard and roiling the campus for nearly five weeks, The Harvard Crimson reported on Wednesday.
The shocking development will likely erase the good will Harvard regained by appearing to embrace an approach to discipline that would deter future unruly behavior as well as the anti-Jewish and anti-Israel hate incidents the protesters perpetrated throughout the school year, which damaged the reputation of the institution and prompted a slew of lawsuits and federal investigations.
Per the Crimson, “The most severe probation charge will last for just one semester, a remarkable change from the initial punishments which required at least one student to withdraw from the college for three semesters. Some students who were initially placed on probation in late May also had the length of their probations reduced.”
For a time Harvard University talked tough about its intention to dismantle a “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” — a collection of tents in which demonstrators lived and from which they refused to leave unless Harvard agreed to boycott and divest from Israel — protesters had set up on campus, creating an impression that no one would go unpunished.
In a public statement, interim president Alan Garber denounced their actions for forcing the rescheduling of exams and disrupting the academics of students who continued doing their homework and studying for final exams, responsibilities the protesters seemingly abdicated by essentially taking an early summer break to participate in the demonstration.
Harvard then began suspending the protesters following their rejection of a deal to leave the encampment, according to The Harvard Crimson. Before then, Garber vowed that any student who continued to occupy the section of campus would be placed on “involuntary leave,” a measure that effectively disenrolls the students from school and bars them from campus until the university decides whether they are allowed back. The disciplinary measures were levied one day after members of Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine (HOOP) created a sign featuring an antisemitic caricature of Garber as Satan, and accused him of duplicity.
During Harvard’s commencement ceremonies in May, reports emerged that some students had been banned from graduation and receiving their diplomas.
However, Harvard, as well as the organization responsible for the encampment, HOOP, always maintained that some protesters would be allowed to appeal their punishments, per an agreement the two parties reached, but it was not clear that the end result would amount to a victory for the protesters.
Unrepentant, HOOP on Wednesday celebrated the revocation of the suspensions on social media and, in addition to suggesting that they will disrupt the campus again, called their movement an “intifada,” alluding to two prolonged periods of Palestinian terrorism during which hundreds of Israeli Jews were murdered.
“Harvard walks back on probations and reverses suspensions of pro-Palestine students after massive pressure,” the group said. “After sustained student and faculty organizing, Harvard has caved in, showing that the student intifada will always prevail … This reversal is a bare minimum. We call on our community to demand no less than Palestinian liberation from the river to the sea. Grounded in the rights of return and resistance. We will not rest until divestment from the Israeli regime is met.”
The news was met with disappointment from Jewish Harvard students and leaders, many of whom have met with lawmakers to discuss their experiences with antisemitism there.
“What?! Harvard reverses the very few suspensions they gave to students who harassed Jews and called for violence,” tweeted Harvard student Shabbos Kestenbaum. “Antisemitic classmates consider this a victory, declaring ‘long live the intifada.’”
The Harvard Jewish Alumni Alliance added, “It’s fine to ignore Harvard’s rules as long as you’re putting Jews in their place … if you’re targeting any other group, you will be disciplined.”
The past year has been described by experts as a low point in the history of Harvard University, America’s oldest and, arguably, most important institution of higher education. Since the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas across southern Israel, the school has been accused of fostering a culture of racial grievance and antisemitism, while important donors have suspended funding for programs. In just the past nine months, its first Black president, Claudine Gay, resigned in disgrace after being outed as a serial plagiarist; Harvard faculty shared an antisemitic cartoon on social media; and its protesters were filmed surrounding a Jewish student and shouting “Shame!” into his ears.
According to the US House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Harvard has repeatedly misrepresented its handling of the explosion of hate and rule breaking, launching a campaign of deceit and spin to cover up what ultimately became the biggest scandal in higher education.
A report generated by the committee as part of a wider investigation of the school claimed that the university formed an Antisemitism Advisory Group (AAG) largely for show and did not consult its members when Jewish students were subject to verbal abuse and harassment, a time, its members felt, when its counsel was most needed. The advisory group went on to recommend nearly a dozen measures for addressing the problem and offered other guidance, the report said, but it was excluded from high-level discussions which preceded, for example, the December congressional testimony of former president Gay — a hearing convened to discuss antisemitism at Harvard.
So frustrated were a “majority” of AAG members with being an accessory to what the committee described as a guilefully crafted public relations facade that they threatened to resign from it.
Harvard must still tend to outstanding issues which resulted from the events of this past academic year. A congressional investigation of its handling of antisemitism is ongoing and six Jewish students are suing it for allegedly ignoring antisemitism discrimination.
In April, attorneys representing the school attempted to have the suit tossed out of court, arguing that the plaintiffs lack legal standing.
“Without minimizing at all the importance of the need to address energetically antisemitism at the university, plaintiff’s dissatisfaction with the strategy and speed of Harvard’s essential work does not state a legally cognizable claim,” said the motion to dismiss, as quoted by The Crimson. “Consequently, the amended complaint should be dismissed.”
Shabbos Kestenbaum, one of the plaintiffs in the case, has vowed to see the litigation through to the end.
“Harvard’s meritless motion to dismiss our lawsuit only proves our point: It has never taken the concerns of us Jewish students seriously, and has no plans to start now,” he said in a statement. “We will continue to apply maximum pressure in both the court of law and the court of public opinion … We hope that donors and prospective students follow closely.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
The post ‘Harvard Has Caved In’: Pro-Hamas Demonstrators Celebrate ‘Student Intifada’ After School ‘Downgrades’ Punishments first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Scarlett Johansson Criticizes AI Video of Her Condemning Kanye West’s Antisemitism
Scarlett Johansson attends The American Museum of Natural History’s 2024 Museum Gala at the American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, December 5, 2024. Photo: Anthony Behar/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Actress Scarlett Johansson is protesting an unauthorized, AI-generated video that circulated on social media on Tuesday showing her and other Jewish celebrities opposing Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, for his recent antisemitic behavior.
The video begins with an AI version of Johansson, 40, wearing a white t-shirt that features on the front a hand with its middle finger extended. In the center of the hand is a Star of David and “Kanye” is written underneath the hand.
Other Jewish celebrities are featured in the AI-generated video wearing the same exact shirt, including David Schwimmer, Ben Stiller, Mark Zuckerberg, Steven Spielberg, Jerry Seinfeld, Sacha Baron Cohen, Drake, Jack Black, Mila Kunis, and Lenny Kravitz. The Hebrew song “Hava Nagila” plays throughout the video. It concludes with an AI version of Adam Sandler flipping his finger at the camera, followed by the words “Enough is Enough” and “Join the Fight Against Antisemitism.” Others featured in the clip include Jake Gyllenhaal, Woody Allen, Adam Levine, Lisa Kudrow, and Natalie Portman.
In response to the video, Johansson condemned what she called “the misuse of AI, no matter what its messaging” in a statement to People magazine. The “Black Widow” star also called on US lawmakers to pass legislation that would limit the use of AI.
“It has been brought to my attention by family members and friends, that an AI-generated video featuring my likeness, in response to an antisemitic view, has been circulating online and gaining traction,” she told the magazine. “I am a Jewish woman who has no tolerance for antisemitism or hate speech of any kind. But I also firmly believe that the potential for hate speech multiplied by AI is a far greater threat than any one person who takes accountability for it. We must call out the misuse of AI, no matter its messaging, or we risk losing a hold on reality.”
In November 2023, Johansson threatened legal action against a company that used an AI image similar to her own, without her permission, for an advertisement. In May 2024, she accused OpenAI’s ChatGPT system, called Sky, of using a voice “eerily similar” to her own without her permission. The “Astroid City” star told People magazine in her statement that she has been “a very public victim” of AI, “but the truth is that the threat of AI affects each and every one of us.”
“There is a 1,000-foot wave coming regarding AI that several progressive countries, not including the United States, have responded to in a responsible manner. It is terrifying that the US government is paralyzed when it comes to passing legislation that protects all of its citizens against the imminent dangers of AI,” she noted. The actress said in conclusion: “I urge the US government to make the passing of legislation limiting AI use a top priority; it is a bipartisan issue that enormously affects the immediate future of humanity at large.”
Johansson did not mention Ye’s name in her statement. She also included a blanket remark about his recent “antisemitic view,” without elaborating about how the rapper went on an antisemitic rant on X on Friday and then proceeded to sell a swastika t-shirt on his website Yeezy.com, following a Super Bowl commercial on Sunday night that directed viewers to his website to shop the item.
“Shameful. Tragic. Pathetic,” said David Draiman, the lead singer of Disturbed, about Johansson’s response to the video. “Beyond disappointing, ‘AI abuse’ is the concern, not the explosion of #Jew hatred, smh.”
Australian actress Isla Fisher, who is also depicted in the AI-generated video, urged people on Tuesday to unfollow Ye on social media for selling a swastika t-shirt. She posted on her Instagram Story: “Hey friends, can you please unfollow Kanye? Did you know this is the only thing for sale on his website after placing a Super Bowl commercial? F–k this monster forever. No Tolerance for this s–t.” Schwimmer has also responded to Ye’s recent antisemitic behavior and insisted that the rapper should be banned from all social media.
Ye has since deactivated his account on X. He has also been dropped by his talent agent, and Shopify, the e-commerce platform that the Yeezy website uses to sell items, shut down Yeezy.com as of Tuesday morning.
The AI-generated video went viral on social media the same day that a Jewish woman filed a lawsuit against Ye in Los Angeles court, according to Billboard magazine. She claimed that when she worked for the rapper, he subjected her to “antisemitic vitriol,” which included text messages that said, “Hail Hitler.”
“Ye carried out a calculated campaign to threaten and psychologically torment Jewish people around him, specifically plaintiff,” her lawyers said, as reported by Billboard. “There can be little doubt that Ye treats those around him, especially Jewish people and women, much worse than just a bully. He is a self-proclaimed ‘Nazi.’”
The post Scarlett Johansson Criticizes AI Video of Her Condemning Kanye West’s Antisemitism first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Super Bowl Protester Breaks Silence About Disrupting Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show With ‘Sudan, Gaza’ Flag
A protester holding a flag with the words “Gaza” and “Sudan” as rapper Kendrick Lamar performed during the Super Bowl halftime show at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Feb. 9, 2025. Photo: Screenshot
The dancer who unfurled a combined Sudanese and Palestinian flag during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show performance on Sunday night said he felt obligated to draw attention to the “suffering” of those in the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip and the civil war in Sudan.
“I felt like I didn’t have a choice,” Muslim protester Zül-Qarnain Nantambu, 41, told Al Jazeera. “When I saw what my position was, it was a great stage … I had an opportunity on a grand scale to bring awareness or to speak out against wrong of our Muslim brothers and sisters. I didn’t want to face my creator with a sign of weak faith when I knew I had an opportunity to show I didn’t have weak faith.”
“They are oppressed, and suffering, and treated with injustice, and it’s on a wide scale,” he added. “I wanted to show the solidarity for those afflicted by this, that they’re being remembered here in America … I thought that I could contribute to taking it to the next level with this activism and protest and enlightenment to make other people aware of what’s going on in other parts of the world.”
Nantambu was asked if he is worried about the repercussions of his actions and how it might affect his ability to find work in the future. The dancer, who dubs himself a “freedom fighter,” replied, “I trust in God. I fear God more than I fear man or the loss of wealth. I fear losing the pleasure of Allah.”
The Muslim dancer was part of a 400-member dance team that performed alongside Lamar at Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The show included cameos by Samuel L. Jackson, SZA, Serena Williams, and DJ Mustard.
Toward the end of Lamar’s performance, Nantambu climbed on top of a car used as a prop in the performance and raised a combined Sudanese-Palestinian flag. On the white sections of the flag, he had written “Sudan” with a heart drawn next to it and “Gaza” alongside an image of a solidarity fist. While still displaying the flag, Nantambu jumped off the car and continued to wave it while standing on the ground near other dancers, before security personnel tackled and escorted him out of the stadium. The New Orleans Police Department said no arrest or summons were issued, but the National Football League issued Nantambu a lifetime ban to all NFL stadiums and events.
The NFL added the Nantambu concealed the combined Sudanese-Palestinian flag and unveiled it during Lamar’s performance without prior knowledge by the show’s production team.
Nantambu told CNN he spent two weeks, eight hours a day, practicing with the other dancers to prepare for the Super Bowl halftime show. He did not tell anyone about his plan to unveil the flag during Lamar’s performance.
The post Super Bowl Protester Breaks Silence About Disrupting Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show With ‘Sudan, Gaza’ Flag first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Australian Nurses Threaten to Kill Israeli Patients, Leading Jews to Question Safety at Country’s Hospitals
Car in New South Wales, Australia graffitied with antisemitic message. Photo: Screenshot
An Australian hospital is reviewing patient records after two nurses were caught on video vowing to kill Israeli patients, prompting swift action from authorities. One of the nurses has since expressed remorse through a family member and is suffering “extreme panic attacks” in the wake of the scandal, according to her uncle.
The incident at Bankstown Hospital in Sydney unfolded after a video surfaced online showing Ahmad Nadir and fellow nurse Sarah Abu Lebdeh — both of whom posed as doctors — making inflammatory statements during a night shift discussion with Israeli social media personality Max Veifer. The footage, which circulated widely, featured Lebdeh stating she would refuse to treat an Israeli patient and would instead kill them, while Nadir used a throat-slitting gesture when he confessed to having already killed many.
“It’s Palestine’s country, not your country, you piece of s—t,” Lebdeh told Veifer.
“One day your time will come, and you will die the most disgusting death,” she added in a sentence riddled with obscenities.
Veifer began asking the two how they would respond if an Israeli seeking treatment landed in their hospital, and Lebdeh, preempting the question, interrupted: “I won’t treat them. I’ll kill them.”
Nadir interjected: “You have no idea how many [expletive] dog Israelis came to this hospital,” and using a throat-slitting gesture, continued, “I sent them to Jahannam,” which is the Islamic word for hell.
New South Wales (NSW) Health Minister Ryan Park confirmed Wednesday that both nurses had been suspended and would be permanently barred from employment within the state’s health system. “They are vile, disgusting, and deranged individuals,” Park said in a press conference.
An internal hospital review found no evidence of discriminatory treatment of Jewish patients, he said.
“To the Jewish community today, I say not only am I sorry, but I can assure you this: the care that you get in our hospitals will continue to be first class,” Park said.
Lebdeh has since expressed remorse through a family member and is experiencing severe anxiety following the release of the video, The Australian reported. Several members of Lebdeh’s family accosted a journalist from the newspaper, with one even grabbing his phone and demanding that footage of the exchange be deleted.
Her uncle, speaking outside her home, said she was suffering from extreme panic attacks. He added that “of course” she was sorry over the incident.
“She will come out and make a statement when she’s ready, but you can’t talk to her now because she’s having a panic attack, an anxiety attack. We might be calling the ambulance for her.”
Lebdeh obtained her diploma in nursing five years ago and began working at NSW Health in February 2021. Nadir, who immigrated from Afghanistan and became an Australian citizen four years ago, issued an apology. “To the Jewish community and anyone I’ve offended, I sincerely apologize,” he said.
The family members of Sarah Abu Lebdah – the Sydney-based Islamist extremist nurse who recorded herself threatening to kill Jews under her care (with the claim of having already done so) – assaulted a journalist from The Australian and stole his phone. pic.twitter.com/B5r7jRgBza
— Imtiaz Mahmood (@ImtiazMadmood) February 12, 2025
The incident came amid a rise in antisemitic incidents across Australia, with Jewish institutions targeted in arson attacks and businesses defaced. Law enforcement in Sydney and Melbourne, home to the majority of Australia’s Jewish population, is actively investigating hate crimes, including the recent discovery of a trailer containing explosives and a list of potential Jewish targets.
Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, described the footage as “utterly sickening.”
“Their unrepentant, gleeful hatred is the precursor to the violence we are experiencing in our country, and it must be stamped out,” he wrote on Instagram. “No doubt we will see the defense that Jews have brought this hatred upon themselves through Israel’s war in Gaza. That these people are merely traumatized from the images of the war. They have it backwards. It is this hatred and dehumanization of Jews that causes wars and the carnage of Oct. 7 and if left unchecked it will further degrade our society.”
Some Jewish Australians responded to the post by sharing personal accounts of what they describe as discrimination in medical settings. One woman recalled that after a doctor noticed her Hebrew tattoo, “the level of care changed,” and she was misdiagnosed before being sent home without pain relief. She wrote that she “knew in my soul” that it was antisemitism. Another recounted being treated warmly by a nurse until she mentioned working for a Jewish organization, at which point “she turned totally cold.”
Shira Nussdorf, a US-born Jewish woman who moved from Israel to Australia six years ago, reflected on the contrast between her past experiences and the country’s current climate.
“Five years ago, while delivering my son in the hospital, my religious head covering fell off and a nurse wearing a hijab gently placed it back. I remember thinking how needless all the fighting in the Middle East was, since when you take two women out of their region, they really have more in common than not,” she told The Algemeiner.
But Nussdorf said the Australia her son is growing up in is a very different place. “In the past year alone, my little boy has witnessed many hostile protests where ‘anti-Zionists’ have actually come into the Jewish community without permits to intimidate us. Time and time again, instead of [authorities] dispersing and arresting anyone in the crowd for screaming racial slurs and threats, Jews are asked to evacuate and told if they don’t run away, they are inciting violence.”
“Now they actually brag online about killing Israeli patients,” she said. “I don’t know how safe I would feel giving birth at that hospital.”
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