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Cornell Newspaper Publishes Nazi Symbol in Anti-Israel Essay
Illustrative Cornell University cleaning anti-Zionist graffiti off a statue of the school’s co-founder on January 21, 2025. Photo: Screenshot
Cornell University took center stage in another campus antisemitism outrage on Thursday, as its student newspaper published an anti-Zionist opinion piece which promoted Holocaust inversion by melding a Nazi symbol with the Star of David.
The article, titled “Thousand & One Eyes for an Eye” and written by indigenous studies professor Karim-Aly Assam, argued that Israel’s military strategy for the Gaza war against Hamas prioritized revenge for the Oct. 7 massacre over security “under the pretext of obtaining justice.” The article further accused Israeli officials of describing Palestinians as “animals” to justify “ruthless destruction and killing” — a gross distortion of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s describing the Hamas fighters who murdered, raped, and maimed women, children, and men on Oct. 7 “human animals” two days after the atrocities transpired.
Assam’s article implied an equivalence of Israel’s military objective to eradicate Hamas from Gaza with the Nazi genocide of Jews across Europe during World War II, a trope which anti-Israel activists and antisemites traffic to foster negative public opinion against Israel’s efforts to secure its borders and quell jihadist activity in the Palestinian territories that has sabotaged efforts to reach a two-state solution and achieve peace with Israel’s neighbors.
The tactic — Holocaust inversion — is one part of a triad of Holocaust-skepticism, the other two components of which are “denial” and “distortion” — used to defame Jews and deny that they are and have been victims of hatred. Once reserved to neo-Nazi media, Holocaust inversion, experts say, is being increasingly embraced by other more mainstream segments of society.
Assam’s attempt to erase Jewish suffering during the Holocaust is clear, Cornell University professor William Jacobson said in an interview with the New York Post.
“It reflects the normalization of Holocaust inversion, both on the internet and now on Cornell’s campus,” Jacobson said. “This [SS lightning bolt] graphic is specifically inside a bloody Jewish star. No reflection of it being even related to Israel. And it clearly is pursuing the idea that Jews are the new Nazis. And so I think it’s obviously highly offensive.”
Following the incident, Cornell unpublished and then re-published Assam’s essay. Later, Eric Han, a Daily Sun editor — claiming not to speak for the organization but as an individual — defended publishing the drawing, arguing that it “clearly depicts that the Palestinian subject has been violently (i.e. bloodily) branded with the SS symbol.”
He added, “I would find it very difficult to dispute the claim that that the Israeli government is similar to the Nazi regime” and claimed that criticism of Assam is evidence of rising “threats levied against academic freedom on campus.”
On Thursday, Kassam said that he regrets how “some” people “interpreted” the drawing.
“I am deeply saddened to learn that this portion of the artwork has been interpreted by some as antisemitic,” he told the New York Post. “That was not my intention and I have learned from this experience.”
Cornell University stands with other Ivy League campuses in being plagued by incidents which exhibit a severity of anti-Jewish hatred not seen in the Western world since the rise of the Nazis.
Just last week, a Cornell professor who according to the school violated federal anti-discrimination law when he expelled an Israeli student from class opted to retire rather than serve a two-semester suspension he received as punishment for the incident.
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
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English Premier League’s Arsenal Hosts Over 100 Soccer Professionals to Discuss Tackling Antisemitism
Emirates Stadium, Arsenal’s home stadium. Photo: Nazmi Amin-Tai via Wikimedia Commons
The English Premier League powerhouse Arsenal hosted more than 100 professionals from across English soccer last week for a symposium on how to combat antisemitism in sports.
The event on Dec. 4 was attended by senior figures from soccer clubs, leagues, governing bodies, associations, and fan groups. They discussed antisemitism in British sports; the experiences of Jewish athletes, staff, and supporters; and how to develop new strategies for creating safer and more inclusive environments for the Jewish community.
As a result of the symposium, an industry toolkit was developed for clubs and governing bodies that will serve as a resource for how to include antisemitism awareness in equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives, improve communication and reporting strategies, and guarantee that Jewish fans and staff feel “safe, represented, and included.” Each delegate vowed to implement at least one action in their organization.
The symposium was coordinated in partnership with Maccabi GB and the British government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, John Mann. Maccabi GB is Britain’s leading charity dedicated to Anglo-Jewish sports, health, and wellbeing, according to its website. It aims to create inclusive sporting, community, and educational environments for the Jewish community.
“Bringing people together to learn, share experiences, and commit to practical action is how we create a better future for Jewish players, staff, and supporters,” Maccabi GB chief executive Ashley Lerner said at the symposium. “In partnership with Lord Mann’s office, we are determined to ensure that the conversations held today lead to meaningful change across the sporting world.”
“Sport has a unique ability to bring people together — but it can also expose the prejudices that exist in wider society,” said Mann. “That is why this partnership with Maccabi GB is so important. We are equipping clubs, leagues, and governing bodies with the knowledge and confidence they need to identify antisemitism early and tackle it decisively. The willingness of football leaders to engage so openly today is not just encouraging — it is essential. We now have the opportunity to ensure that the lessons of the past translate into meaningful, measurable change for the future.”
The symposium took place on the 90th anniversary of the England–Germany match at White Hart Lane in London in 1935, when the visiting German team performed the Nazi salute on the pitch. Stephanie Peacock, the British minister for sport, tourism, civil society, and youth, spoke at the event about the British government’s commitment to working with those in sports and the Jewish community to address antisemitism.
“Sport should always be a place of belonging, pride, and unity,” Peacock said. “Antisemitism has no place in football or in British society, and I welcome the leadership shown today by Maccabi GB and Lord Mann. The government is committed to supporting this work, ensuring that clubs and governing bodies have the capability, confidence, and frameworks to prevent discrimination and respond effectively when it occurs. Tackling antisemitism strengthens not only Jewish participation in sport, but the integrity and inclusivity of the game as a whole.”
Last week’s symposium was held as part of a larger project called Tackling Antisemitism in Sport, which was established in September 2023 as a partnership between Maccabi GB and Mann’s office. More than 4,000 soccer professionals have participated in the program’s workshops, including all 20 Premier League clubs.
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Israel to Reopen Jordan Border Crossing for Passage of Aid, Goods After Terror Attack
Israeli police officers stand next to their cars at the scene of a fatal shooting at the Allenby Crossing between the West Bank and Jordan, Sept. 18, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Oren Ben Hakoon
Israel is set to reopen the Allenby Crossing with Jordan to the passage of goods and aid on Wednesday, an Israeli security official said on Tuesday.
The border crossing has been closed to aid and goods since September, when a driver bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza opened fire and killed two Israeli military personnel before being killed by security forces.
The security official said the crossing would have tightened screening for Jordanian drivers and truck cargo, and that a dedicated security force had been assigned to the crossing.
The Allenby Bridge is a key route for trade between Jordan and Israel and the only gateway for more than 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank to reach Jordan.
The crossing reopened to passenger traffic shortly after the attack, but had remained closed to aid trucks. The UN says the crossing is a major route for bringing food, tents, and other goods into Gaza.
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US Imposes Sanctions on Network It Accuses of Fueling War in Sudan
A bronze seal for the Department of the Treasury is shown at the US Treasury building in Washington, US, Jan. 20, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
The US on Tuesday imposed sanctions on actors it accused of fueling the war in Sudan, taking aim at what it said was a transnational network that recruits former Colombian military personnel and trains soldiers, including children, to fight for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The US Treasury Department in a statement seen by Reuters said that it imposed sanctions on four individuals and four entities that were part of the network, which it said was largely comprised of Colombian nationals and companies.
The Treasury said that since at least 2024, hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have traveled to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF, which the US has accused of committing genocide.
The Colombians have provided the RSF with tactical and training expertise and served as infantry and artillerymen, drone pilots and instructors, among other roles, with some training children to fight for the paramilitary group, according to Treasury, which added that Colombian fighters have participated in battles across Sudan, including in the capital Khartoum and al-Fashir.
“The RSF has shown again and again that it is willing to target civilians — including infants and young children. Its brutality has deepened the conflict and destabilized the region, creating the conditions for terrorist groups to grow,” Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, John Hurley, said in the statement.
Among those targeted was Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, who the Treasury said was a dual Colombian-Italian national and a retired Colombian military officer based in the United Arab Emirates. It accused him of playing a central role in recruiting and deploying former Colombian military personnel to Sudan.
The UAE has been widely accused of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied.
“The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents,” Treasury said in the statement.
The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF erupted in April 2023 out of a power struggle and has triggered famine, ethnic killings, and mass displacement. In November, US President Donald Trump said he would intervene to stop the conflict.
The United States, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia – known as the Quad – earlier in November proposed a plan for a three-month truce followed by peace talks. The RSF responded by saying it had accepted the plan, but soon after attacked army territory with a barrage of drone strikes.