Outrage at Yale after lone protester hangs Palestinian flag on Menorah
Leaders, elected officials and clergy at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, condemned what they called the desecration of a public Hanukkah menorah after a protester briefly hung a Palestinian flag from it this weekend.
“The placement of a Palestinian flag on the menorah conveys a deeply anti-Semitic message to the Jewish residents of New Haven, including members of the Yale community,” Yale President Peter Salovey said in a statement.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, who is Jewish, called the incident an act of hatred and described his father’s escape from Germany in 1935.
“It may seem like a joke,” he said at a news conference in New Haven on Monday. “It may seem like a joke. But it could not be more serious, because it is the mockery and desecration of an extremely important religious symbol.”
The incident, captured on video in a public space on the edge of the Yale campus, lasted just over a minute, according to a participant at a pro-Palestinian rally nearby. The protester who had hung the flag quickly removed it, at the urging of other protesters.
“Stoop!” in the video, the protesters can be heard shouting repeatedly.
“That looks bad for us,” said one person wearing a kaffiyeh, a scarf that symbolizes Palestinian liberation. “Take it down!”
Pro-Palestinian activist organizations across Connecticut — including Yalies4Palestine, a co-sponsor of Saturday’s rally — also condemned the incident, which they described as an “anti-Semitic action.”
“We are shocked by this behavior, and are especially disappointed as it takes place during the religious celebration of Hanukkah,” they said in a speech. joint statement. They apologized and said the climber was not affiliated with their groups.
The incident comes at a tense time for elite colleges whose campuses have become the scene of regular protests over the war between Israel and Hamas.
Elizabeth Magill, the former president of the University of Pennsylvania, resigned this weekend after bungling through congressional statements on anti-Semitism on campuses. Claudine Gay, the president of Harvard, apologized after her own testimony. She is facing calls to resign.
Dr. Salovey, the president of Yale, has issued a stronger condemnation of hate on campus.
Last week, following the testimonies of his colleagues, he released a statement draw out steps to counter both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia at Yale. He noted that the university is committed to free speech, but drew a clear line.
“Chants or messages that express hatred, celebrate the killing of civilians, or call for genocide of any group are completely contrary to our ideals,” said Dr. Salovey.
Yale does not know whether the person who placed the flag on the menorah was a member of the university community. New Haven police said they were investigating.
“While the incident was hateful, it does not appear — in the opinion of the various parties — to constitute a hate crime,” said David Zanelli, an assistant chief of police. He said the menorah did not appear to be damaged.
Many officials and members of the Jewish community said the targeting of a menorah – a religious symbol – was an attack on Jews, and not on the actions of the Israeli government.
“A menorah has nothing to do with Zionism,” said Ina Silverman, a New Haven resident who came to Monday’s news conference.
Ms. Silverman, who is Jewish, wore a pin with the Israeli and American flags.
“A menorah is an ancient sign of the Jewish religion,” she said. “It was clearly an anti-Semitic attack. No one should think otherwise.”
Others called the press conference an overreaction.
Jake Dressler, an attorney who attended Saturday’s meeting and filmed the flag-hanging, said the person responsible had acted alone and was “completely rogue.”
“One man broke away from the group,” said Mr. Dressler, 29. “No one knew he did it.”
He said the man immediately moved back to remove the flag at the urging of other protesters.
“It’s an exaggeration,” Mr. Dressler said.
He also noticed that someone started throwing eggs at the protesters. “That’s like a direct act of violence against a person,” he said. “Nobody got hurt from that menorah thing.”
Other critics argued that the uproar over speeches and protests around elite university campuses diverts attention from the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where health authorities say at least 15,000 people have been killed since the war began on Oct. 7.
“They are taking away the action of one person out of 300 or 400 people at this gathering, which was completely peaceful,” said Dan Garrett, 63, who attended the news conference. He noted that he is Jewish and that his mother survived the Holocaust.
“It’s a diversion,” he said. “The real story is what is happening in Gaza.”