The Cornell professor, who last year described Hamas's despicable Oct. 7 attack as “delightful,” sparked further outrage by taking part in an anti-Israel demonstration where protesters chanted “Long live the intifada!”
Associate professor of history Russell Rickford walked with dozens of demonstrators spewing anti-Israel slogans, with one Jewish student calling the controversial lecturer “insane” for joining the protest and another accusing him of “inciting hatred.”
Photos and video obtained by The Washington Post show Rickford clapping along to the slogan as he walks with a kefir draped over his shoulder and a newsboy cap on his head, similar to one he wore when he made his explosive comments last year.
Intifada is an Arabic word that means “uprising” or “dispelling” in English.
In the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, intifada has been used to refer to violent Palestinian protests against the Jewish state. According to the American Jewish Committee. The White House has previously denounced the language.
Protesters eventually stormed a campus job fair and school officials said they pushed aside a school police officer, but video posted online does not appear to show Rickford involved in the disruption.
The lecturer gained notoriety for praising Hamas' surprise attack on the Jewish state, which killed 1,200 Israelis and sparked the war in Gaza.
“It was exhilarating, it was invigorating, I was so happy,” Rickford said at the time, but later apologised for the embarrassing comments.
Cornell University last year called the comments “reprehensible” but noted the words were protected by the First Amendment. After taking a voluntary leave of absence over the past year amid an outcry, he was allowed to return to his Ivy League professorship this semester.
Davian Geckman, a 19-year-old Jewish student, said “it's just unbelievable” that Rickford is allowed to teach at his school and is comfortable taking part in violent protests on campus.
“Cornell is spitting in my face and in the face of the entire Jewish community,” Geckman told the Post, “by allowing professors to cry 'Intifida,' or the end of the Jewish state.”
Amanda Silverstein, vice president of Chabad Israel and Cornell University, said Rickford marched with students to the Statler Hotel building where the career fair was being held, but it was unclear whether he went inside.
“He was sipping kefir and laughing. Rickford knows he will go unpunished,” Silverstein fumed. “We have a professor spreading anti-Semitic rhetoric and inciting hatred.”
A video posted online by the Mutual Liberation Union, a group spearheading the protests, showed protesters causing chaos inside the fair, ringing cymbals and banging pots as participants tried to circle the grounds.
Another video posted Reporter for the Ithaca Times Students were shown calling for their school to divest from arms manufacturers.
Cornell Vice President for University Affairs Joel Malina said in a statement that campus police were pushed and shoved during the disturbance and that attendees felt threatened.
“Students were deprived of the opportunity to experience a career fair. This behavior is unacceptable, violates university policy and is illegal,” Malina said.
“Cornell University Police are working to identify those who violated our rules, and students will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards where immediate action, up to and including suspension, will be taken.”
“Faculty members will be reported to Human Resources. These individuals may also face criminal charges.”
When contacted by The Washington Post, the school declined to comment on Rickford's participation in the march.
Rickford did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
