Jewish Students Allege Antisemitism On New York University Campus

Three Jewish students have sued New York University (NYU), alleging that the campus created a hostile environment for Jewish students. The Jewish students have faced antisemitic hatred, discrimination, harassment and intimidation on NYU campus. 

Three Jewish students — Bella Ingber, Sabrina Maslavi and Saul Tawil — said that they faced antisemitism, which is hostility or prejudice against Jewish people.

They filed a case against NYU in Manhattan federal court. They said that antisemitism had been a “growing institutional problem” at NYU campus. In a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, the students alleged that they faced antisemitic hatred even before the war between Israel and Hamas began last month. 

What happened to Jewish students at NYU campus?

Ingber and Tawil enrolled in NYU in 2021. Maslavi enrolled in NYU two months ago. According to the complaint, they faced intense antisemitic hatred, discrimination, harassment and intimidation on NYU campus. This problem has increased since Hamas fighters attacked Israel on October 7.

The students said that their complaints were often ignored. They accused Linda G. Mills, the 17th president of New York University, of ignoring Jewish students’ complaints. The students said that Jewish students’ complaints were “ignored, slow-walked, or met with gaslighting” by NYU administrators. The Israel-Hamas conflict increased antisemitism on the campus. 

Reportedly, the President of New York University (NYU) dismissed a petition from 4,000 NYU members, expressing concern about antisemitism on the campus.

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However, John Beckman, an NYU spokesman, said that New York University was among the first American universities to condemn Hamas’ attack. 

The Jewish students urged NYU to terminate employees and suspend or expel students responsible for antisemitic abuse on the campus. Tuesday’s lawsuit sought compensatory and punitive damages for Jewish students.

Jewish students said that some faculty and student members chanted, “gas the Jews” and “Hitler was right.” Some pro-Palestinian groups also burned an Israeli flag and made “slit-your-throat” gestures toward Jewish students on the campus. 

Marc Kasowitz, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in a statement, “NYU’s deliberate indifference toward the plight of its Jewish students under siege by egregious antisemitism has been outrageous.”