Cornell student details gathering 5K signatures, raising $28K to drop anti-Israel singer ‘Kehlani'
The president of a pro-Israel group at Cornell University said his organization worked hard to drop anti-Israel singer Kehlani from an end-of-the-year concert at their school.
"Everybody has the right to free speech," Netanel Shapira, president of Cornellians for Israel, told Fox News Digital Friday in an interview.
"They can say what they want," he added. "The difference here with Kehlani is that her statements are not just anti-Israel, they're just vehemently against Israelis, Jewish people. She spews hate. It's not like a political stance. So that immediately triggered our response, and we immediately reached out to the administration from different fronts, not just from Cornellians for Israel's perspective, from all Jewish communities around the school, people reached out to the administration."
Pro-israel Students At Cornell Rip University For Hosting Israel-hating Singer At Upcoming Concert
Kehlani has shared numerous anti-Israel messages in her music and on social media in recent years, including a call for an "intifada."
One post of hers read, "it's f--- Israel from the top of my lungs. Idc [I don't care] about the f----- threats. DISMANTLE ISRAEL. ERADICATE ZIONISM."
Read On The Fox News App
Shapira mobilized his organization, Cornellians for Israel, and other friendly organizations on campus, to circulate a petition to get Kehlani removed from headlining Cornell's annual "Slope Day" concert, an event that celebrates the end of the school year.
"We kind of took things into our own hands and said, we have to, you know, institute a campaign to pressure the administration and show them that, hey, we Jews and we pro-Israel members of the community are very disappointed in the fact that the school could bring a performer who's this hateful towards us," Shapira said.
As concerns about Kehlani were being shared, Shapira said a defining time of the effort came when Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff held a townhall with Jewish students to hear their concerns.
"One of the most powerful moments of the story was, he asked, given how hateful her comments have been towards your community, how many of you would not be willing to come to Slope Day," Shapira said. "And the entire room of like close to a hundred people raised their hands. And sort of I could tell on his face, in that moment, that he realized, this administration messed up, something has to be done."
Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture
In a statement released Wednesday, Kotlikoff said, "Unfortunately, although it was not the intention, the selection of Kehlani as this year's headliner has injected division and discord into Slope Day."
"For that reason, I am rescinding Kehlani's invitation and expect a new lineup for a great 2025 Slope Day to be announced shortly."
Shapira said that the efforts of the students to cancel Kehlani brought in about 5,000 signatures and raised over $28,000.
"The administration kind of had to start paying attention once that started happening," Shapira said.
The senior at Cornell University said that once the school announced that Kehlani was being canceled, and that the funds would not be needed for another performer, they gave the option to the donors to get their funds back.
"We're super grateful to the whole community," Shapira said. "Almost everyone said, keep the money. You guys did an amazing job, that kind of thing. So we're very grateful as an organization for that."
Instead, the funds will be used to host pro-Israel events and speakers.
When reached for comment, Cornell University referred Fox News Digital to Kotlikoff's earlier statement announcing the rescinding of Kehlani's invitation.
In a video posted on Instagram on Saturday, Kehlani said "I am not antisemitic."
"I know you've seen Cornell University cancelled my show, and now there are attempts at other cancellations on top of the cancellations I've already experienced over the past year. If you want to cancel me from opportunity, stand on it being because of your zionism. Don't make it anti-jew. This a played out game. All this because we want people to stop dying. I hope this helps," she wrote in the post with her video.
Fox News Digital also reached out to representatives for Kehlani for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.Original article source: Cornell student details gathering 5K signatures, raising $28K to drop anti-Israel singer 'Kehlani'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
113 House Democrats vote against GOP resolution denouncing the antisemitic terrorist attack in Colorado
More than 100 House Democrats voted against a Republican-led resolution condemning the antisemitic terrorist attack in Boulder and Colorado's sanctuary state laws on Monday. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.), cleared the lower chamber in a 280-113 vote, with 75 Democrats joining Republicans to pass the measure. Democrats fumed over language in the resolution expressing 'gratitude to law enforcement, including US Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, for protecting the homeland.' 3 House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks with reporters about the spending and tax bill embraced by President Donald Trump and Republicans, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, June 6, 2025. AP The National Republican Congressional Committee, the House GOP's campaign arm, charged that Democrats voting against the bill 'sided with terrorists over police officers and flat-out refused to condemn antisemitism.' 'Democrats have become the pro-terrorist, anti-cop, antisemitic caucus. And they're proud of it,' the NRCC wrote on X. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) slammed Evans as a 'joke' ahead of the vote. 'Who is this guy? He's not seriously concerned with combating antisemitism in America. This is not a serious effort,' Jeffries told reporters. 'Antisemitism is a scourge on America. It shouldn't be weaponized politically.' Evans shot back that the 'wildly offensive sentiment' expressed by Jeffries is 'why antisemitism persists.' 3 This image provided by the Boulder Police Dept. shows Mohamed Sabry Soliman. AP 'The Left is unserious about finding real solutions,' the congressman argued on X. 'Condemning terrorism is not a joking matter.' Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), who is Jewish and voted no on the resolution, argued on the House floor that the measure was being put forward to simply 'score political points.' 'You weren't here, Mr. Evans, last term, but there were about 10 antisemitism resolutions that effectively said the same thing solely to score political points,' Goldman said. 'We Jews are sick and tired of being used as pawns.' 3 Gabe Evans, R-Fort Lupton, speaks to reporters during a news conference on the steps of the Colorado Capitol in Denver on Thursday, May 29, 2025. In his floor speech, Evans stated: 'As a former police officer and Army veteran of the Global War on Terror, I know how Colorado's radical leftists leaders and laws prioritize illegal immigrants over public safety — allowing antisemitic terrorists like Mohammed Sabry Soliman to strike.' Soliman, an Egyptian national who overstayed his visa, allegedly used Molotov cocktails and a makeshift flamethrower during the June 1 attack targeting peaceful marchers who were calling for the release of Hamas-held hostages in Gaza. Fifteen people were injured in the firebombing, during which Soliman allegedly shouted, 'Free Palestine.' 'The passing of my resolution ensures we condemn all acts of antisemitism and affirms that the free and open collaboration between state and local law enforcement with their federal counterparts is key in preventing future attacks like this,' the congressman continued. A separate resolution introduced by Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) and Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), who more generally denounced the uptick in antisemitic attacks in the US, passed in a 400-0 vote.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Netanyahu's government could collapse over ultra-Orthodox military draft law
BNEI BARAK, Israel (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a vote to dissolve parliament Wednesday and key coalition partners have threatened to bring down his government. Still, few think it's the end of the road for Israel's longest-serving prime minister, who has been battling corruption charges for years, or his far-right government, still in power after presiding over the security failures surrounding the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack. The move to dissolve, called by the opposition, will only pass if Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox coalition partners break with him over the failure to pass a law exempting their community from military service, an issue that has bitterly divided Israelis, especially during the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. The threats coming from the ultra-Orthodox could be posturing, and many expect Netanyahu to pull off a last-minute deal. But Wednesday's vote is the most serious challenge to Netanyahu's government since the war began, and the coalition's collapse could have major implications for Israel and the ongoing war. Why do the ultra-Orthodox reject military service? Most Jewish men are required to serve nearly three years of military service followed by years of reserve duty. Jewish women serve two mandatory years. But the politically powerful ultra-Orthodox, who make up roughly 13% of Israeli society, have traditionally received exemptions if they are studying full-time in religious seminaries. The exemptions — and the government stipends many seminary students receive through age 26 — have infuriated the general public. After Hamas' 2023 attack, Israel activated 360,000 reservists, its largest mobilization since the 1973 Mideast war. Israel is engaged in the longest active war in the country's history, which has stretched its robust military to the breaking point. Many reserve soldiers have served multiple rounds of duty in Gaza totaling hundreds of days. Some reserve soldiers are rejecting new call-ups. The number of Israelis continuing to report for reserve duty has dropped so low that the military has taken to social media to try to recruit people to keep serving. The enlistment exemption for the ultra-Orthodox goes back to Israel's 1948 founding, when small numbers of gifted scholars were exempt from the draft in response to the decimation of Jewish scholarship during the Holocaust. But with a push from politically powerful religious parties, the numbers have swelled to tens of thousands today. Israel's Supreme Court said the exemptions were illegal in 2017, but repeated extensions and government delay tactics have prevented a replacement law from being passed. Among Israel's Jewish majority, mandatory military service is largely seen as a melting pot and rite of passage. That's exactly why some ultra-Orthodox don't want their children to serve. 'It mixes together people with very different backgrounds, very different ideas, some people with very immoral ideas,' said Rabbi Ephraim Luft, 66, from the ultra-Orthodox stronghold of Bnei Barak. Luft said the community's dedication to upholding Jewish commandments protects the country as much as military service. 'Over thousands of years, the Jewish people have stood very strongly against any kind of decrees to force them to give up their religion, they've given up their lives for this,' Luft said. 'People have to understand there's no difference between the Spanish Inquisition or the Israeli draft law.' Why would ultra-Orthodox parties want to bring down the government? Two parties belonging to the Haredim, or 'God-fearing' in Hebrew, are essential to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition. Both would need to vote to dissolve the government to force new elections, including Shas, which has traditionally been more supportive of Netanyahu. On Monday, a Shas spokesperson told an ultra-Orthodox radio program the party currently plans to vote in favor of dissolution, unless there is a breakthrough in negotiations. The other party, Degel HaTorah, has been threatening to leave the government since last week. 'Basically, they don't really care about the war and the economic situation of the state and anything else but their communal interest. And the focus of this communal interest is getting the exemption from serving in the army," said Shuki Friedman, an expert on religion and state affairs and vice president of the Jewish People Policy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. Friedman and other experts say the current system is unsustainable. With its high birthrate, the ultra-Orthodox are the fastest-growing segment of Israel's population, at about 4% annually. Each year, roughly 13,000 ultra-Orthodox men reach the conscription age of 18, but less than 10% enlist, according to parliament's State Control Committee, which held a hearing examining the issue. The shock of the Oct. 7 attack appeared to ignite some enthusiasm among the ultra-Orthodox to serve, but no large enlistment materialized. The army has repeatedly declined to comment on the ultra-Orthodox enlistment rate. What happens if parliament is dissolved? If the dissolution vote passes, it still faces a series of bureaucratic steps, including additional votes, that the government would likely drag on for weeks or months, said Gayil Talshir, a political science professor at Hebrew University. 'It will be like a gun that's been put into position, but that doesn't mean the coalition is over,' she said. Elections in Israel are currently scheduled for the fall of 2026. Both Talshir and Friedman believe it's unlikely the dissolution vote will pass Wednesday. If one ultra-Orthodox party is absent, the vote will not pass and another cannot be brought for six months, Talshir said. However, there's also a 'valid possibility' the rabbis who advise the ultra-Orthodox parties will say they've waited long enough for a draft exemption law, because they are facing enormous pressure from their communities, Friedman said. The army has issued thousands of draft notices to the ultra-Orthodox community, and those who refuse to serve can face arrest. While only around a dozen have been arrested after being stopped for trying to leave the country or for traffic violations, the fear this has inspired is significant, he added. What impact does this have on the war in Gaza and the hostage crisis? Netanyahu frequently cites the ongoing war as a reason why Israel needs to provide a united front against its enemies. While the ultra-Orthodox parties remain part of the coalition, they want the war to end as quickly as possible, Talshir said.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Slovakia's Fico praises authoritarian states for economic efficiency
During a visit to Uzbekistan on Monday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico suggested that authoritarian states may be more economically efficient than democracies and called for a reassessment of Europe's democratic model. Fico said Europe should consider reforming its system of governance based on free elections to remain globally competitive. He praised countries like Uzbekistan, China and Vietnam for their ability to act more decisively in economic matters. Pressed by journalists, Fico clarified that he was not calling for an end to democracy, but argued that involving too many political parties in decision-making weakens a state's ability to act. "If you have a hundred political parties, you can't compete," he said. "If a government is made up of four political entities, you can't compete." Fico, who returned to power in 2023 for a fourth term, has faced mass protests in recent months, with critics accusing him of authoritarian tendencies and pursuing a pro-Russian foreign policy. He previously reacted by saying the liberal opposition is trying to overturn election results through street pressure.
