New York University is investigating an incident involving three alleged NYU students caught on videotape tearing down posters of Hamas hostages. The videos were taken outside NYU’s Tisch Hall and shared by the Students Supporting Israel NYU Chapter. The chapter identified them as NYU students, but it is not clear if that has been established by the university.
The Chapter wrote on X.: “Today, we witnessed 2 NYU students violently tearing down posters of kidnapped babies, mothers, and grandmothers hanging outside of NYU Buildings. This was done in a laughing manner, exhibiting complete disregard for Jewish lives and Jewish safety.”
The red and white posters with the word “KIDNAPPED” have gone up across New York City to remind people that 200 people have been taken hostage by Hamas.
It is telling that these individuals wanted to remove the images of these victims of a terrorist attack. It is one thing to advocate for Palestinian rights and to protest grievances. Many on our campuses have done so for years. However, that should be accompanied by a condemnation of the massacre of civilians, rape of women, and the taking of hostages. Those are atrocities and constitute crimes against humanity under international law. Hamas does not represent the Palestinian cause. It is a terrorist group that has engaged in unspeakable crimes.
Update: A NYU student has now admitted to being one of those tearing down the images. Yazmeen Deyhimi stated
“I have found it increasingly difficult to know my place as a biracial brown woman, especially during these highly volatile times. I have felt more and more frustrated about the time we currently find ourselves in, and misplaced that anger into actions that are not an accurate representation of who I am as a person.”
