Queens College lecture by Israeli professor disrupted with anti-Semitic slurs
An online lecture by Israeli law professor Yofi Tirosh at Queens College was disrupted by anti-Semitic and obscene attacks, temporarily halting the event.
The incident highlights ongoing anti-Semitism at CUNY, including pro-Hamas resolutions, union disputes, and student council boycotts against Israel.
An online lecture at Queens College was disrupted on Sept. 8 by a barrage of anti-Semitic and obscene attacks that halted the event.
Israeli law professor Yofi Tirosh had only just begun her lecture when multiple attendees allegedly exploited a Zoom vulnerability to share pornography, violent images, and slurs, including “kill all the Jews” and “go back to Auschwitz,” according to The New York Times.
Tirosh and a moderator quickly removed the disruptors, allowing her to complete the lecture, which had centered around Israeli women and “minorities.”
The annual event, sponsored by the college’s Center for Jewish Studies, was open to the public. A Queens College spokeswoman said the disruption stemmed from one individual registering multiple accounts and abusing a screen-sharing setting.
Officials condemned the incident, with the college emphasizing its commitment to combating anti-Semitism and promoting tolerance.
“Queens College unequivocally denounces the heinous act of antisemitism that interrupted a Sept. 8 Zoom lecture, ‘Law, Religion, and Gender Equality in an Age of Democratic Backsliding: Field Notes from Israel,’ “ the college stated.
Tirosh questioned the effectiveness of the obscene demonstration.
“There’s nothing for Palestinians in this protest,” she said. “It doesn’t do anything for the cause of ending the war.”
An online biography explains that Dr. Yofi Tirosh is the former dean of Sapir Academic College’s School of Law, specializing in civil rights and anti-discrimination law. She has held fellowships and visiting positions internationally, received multiple awards for legal research, and is a prominent civil rights activist.
Queens College is part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, which has seen numerous instances of reported anti-Semitism connected to its campuses.
Last year, six CUNY professors, five Jewish, sued to leave their union, PSC-CUNY, claiming it is anti-Semitic. They resigned after the union issued a pro-Hamas, anti-Israel resolution in 2021.
Additionally, the Doctoral and Graduate Students Council at CUNY passed a resolution on Oct. 18 to boycott products and services linked to Israel, citing opposition to the “US-backed Israeli occupation of Palestine.”
Critics, including former trustee Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, condemned the move as discriminatory and anti-Semitic. “Absolutely 100 percent it’s antisemitic,” Wiesenfeld contended.
This summer, Rep. Elise Stefanik sharply criticized CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez for failing Jewish students, citing a Hunter College incident where students walked under a swastika.
Campus Reform has contacted Queens College and Yofi Tirosh for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
