Protests18 September, 20263 min read
Cornellians for Israel and Cornell Hillel Condemn Hasan Piker’s Cornell Invitation
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Hasan Piker invited to speak at Cornell by Students Not Bombs. Cornellians for Israel and Cornell Hillel condemn invitation as antisemitic incitement.
Cornell event sparks protests
Hasan Piker’s invitation to speak at Cornell University on Thursday at Sage Chapel triggered condemnation from Cornellians for Israel and Cornell Hillel, with Hillel calling Piker’s rhetoric “hateful” and “antisemitic” and describing the appearance as “incitement.”
“Hillel referred to Piker’s rhetoric as ‘hateful’ and ‘antisemitic,’ and his appearance as an act of ‘incitement.’”
Cornellians for Israel and Cornell Hillel also framed the event as an endorsement of Piker’s views, while Cornell Jewish Voice for Peace rejected the “antisemitic” characterization and disputed that hosting Piker reflected hostility toward Jewish students.
Students Not Bombs, a coalition that includes Jewish Voice for Peace, Students for Justice in Palestine and Young Democratic Socialists of America, announced on Sept. 15 that Piker would speak at Sage Chapel on Thursday, and the event sold out just hours after tickets were released.
Cornell Hillel and Cornell Jewish Voice for Peace both tied the timing to Yom Kippur, with Hillel asking organizers to “reflect” on the impact Piker will make on campus during the holiday.
Cornellians for Israel member Ezra Galperin said the difference between earlier controversy and Piker’s invitation was that Piker “endorsed 9/11” and that “Hasan Piker loves death.”
Debate over stopping him
Sofia Eliasi, a Cornellians for Israel sophomore, told the New York Post that inviting Piker was “not conducive to generative philosophical dialogue,” and she said it was “simply an invitation for students to emulate his behavior by finding their own antisemitic stages to preach from.”
Davian Gekman, a Cornell student, argued that the community should not welcome Piker but also said “debate should not be shut down,” adding that “Kicking or trying to stop Piker from coming onto this campus does not serve the good of the Jewish community or the good of supporting Israel in my eyes.”
Mardi Singleton said she plans to attend despite “strongly disagreeing” with most of Piker’s stances, and she said, “I want to hear his views firsthand and better understand the perspectives of those who support him.”
Josh Appel, a Manhattan Institute policy analyst, said universities should not platform controversial figures by comparing them to a “Jan. 6 rioter,” arguing that “they should apply that same standard to figures on the left.”
The Cornell Daily Sun reported that Hillel, JVP and SJP declined to give a comment to The Sun about the controversy.
Texas backlash and free speech
At the University of Texas at Austin, University Democrats announced an event featuring Hasan Piker scheduled for Sept. 30, and the Daily Texan said the event filled out in 20 minutes and that Adit Raha reported 460 people were guaranteed seats and 2100 people were on the waitlist.
“Raha said there were 460 people who were guaranteed seats and 2100 people on the waitlist.”
The Daily Texan reported that UT Police Department called Raha the morning after the announcement and said the event was no longer safe to host at the William C. Powers building due to the number of RSVPs.
Fox News described lawmakers from both sides of the aisle condemning the event, and it quoted Rep. Henry Cuellar writing on X that “Jewish students at UT should not be made to feel targeted or unsafe on their own campus.”
Fox News also reported that Piker pushed back on the pressure campaign, writing on X that “this is a direct violation of the 1st amendment. free speech must be protected.”
The Daily Texan said Young Americans for Liberty chairman and president Benjamin Shrader described his group’s protest as disagreement rather than cancellation, stating, “We have no desire to shut down the event.”
