Israel-Gaza conflict ignites flap over Rutgers commencement speaker
Rutgers University-Newark's pick of actor-comedian Ramy Youssef has irked a Jewish state legislator, who urged administrators to reconsider. Officials said no. (Dana DiFilippo | New Jersey Monitor)
Rutgers University officials have refused a state lawmaker's request that they reconsider actor Ramy Youssef as a commencement speaker because his support for the Palestinian people and a Gaza ceasefire is 'alienating and isolating' for Jewish students.
Assemblyman Avi Schnall (D-Ocean) sent a letter to Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway and the university's board of governors calling Youssef 'polarizing' and 'anti-Israel.'
Picking Youssef to address Rutgers-Newark graduates at their May 22 commencement 'sends an unfortunate and deeply hurtful message,' especially as antisemitism climbs on college campuses, Schnall wrote.
'Graduation should not be marred by controversy or by actions that leave part of the student body feeling uncomfortable, scared or unwelcome,' Schnall wrote. 'It should be a day that lifts every student up.'
Rutgers officials, though, said commencement speakers and honorary degree recipients are 'thoughtfully reviewed' and recommended by a campus-wide committee that includes students, faculty, and staff. Youssef also will receive an honorary doctor of fine arts degree at the event.
'Ramy Youssef is a celebrated writer and artist who has deep ties to New Jersey and to Rutgers-Newark, which he attended,' the university said in a statement. 'His selection as commencement speaker at Rutgers-Newark reflects a tradition of honoring individuals who embody resilience, creativity, and connection to our community.'
Rutgers announced last week that Youssef, a practicing Muslim and Egyptian-American actor and comedian who was raised in Rutherford, would be the keynote commencement speaker for Newark graduates.
'Thirteen years ago I took a 'break' from Rutgers to pursue acting. The break is now over. I am honored to be giving this year's commencement speech, and to finally receive a college degree,' Youssef said in that announcement. 'Thank you Rutgers for this honor, and for making my parents feel like the three semesters of tuition they paid for was actually worth it.'
Last month, he told The New York Times that he has fielded plenty of criticism for his comments about Israel and Palestine. But he defended them as 'completely inoffensive' and lamented 'a massive power imbalance' in the Gaza conflict.
Rutgers has caught similar flak, most notably over its response to pro-Palestinian solidarity encampments on campus last year that led to Holloway getting grilled by lawmakers in both New Jersey and Washington, D.C.
While Rutgers subsequently banned such encampments and suspended a Palestinian student group that was involved, at least two other Jewish lawmakers have targeted New Jersey's flagship university for criticism about its encampment response and related issues.
State Sen. Robert Singer (R-Ocean) last month called for a freeze of public funding for Rutgers for 'ignoring antisemitism.' U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-05) also has called on Rutgers officials to cancel campus speakers he deemed antisemitic.
College campuses nationally have seen incidents of both antisemitism and Islamophobia climb since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
At Rutgers, the U.S. Department of Justice in January ordered reforms after it found the university created a 'hostile environment' for Jewish, Palestinian, and other students based on national origin. The Anti-Defamation League recently gave Rutgers a grade of 'D' for its 'deficient' approach to protecting Jewish students from antisemitism.
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