Threats against the Jewish population at Cornell University were posted online Oct. 28 and 29 and created a shockwave of fear throughout Ithaca, quickly becoming national news. These threats were posted in response to the Israel-Hamas war and specifically threatened a shooting at 104West! — a building that houses resources for Jewish students on the Cornell campus. This was undoubtedly a targeted and antisemitic attack and it brings up a crucial conversation; international conflict does not present an excuse to act or speak in a bigoted way and it certainly is not an excuse to threaten violence against people based on their views or perceived affiliation with one side of the conflict or another.

The hate speech posted online by Cornell student Patrick Dai is just one example of a rise in hate following the initiation of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7. However, it is a critical example, being so close to home for members of the Ithaca College community. According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, as of Oct. 25, there were 774 reports filed of bias against Muslims in America since Oct. 7. Similarly, the Anti-Defamation League recorded 312 antisemitic incidents between Oct. 7 and Oct. 23. These levels of hate are considered abnormally high according to both organizations. In addition to indiscriminate hate toward both groups, discourse around the conflict has been met with extreme backlash. Palestine Legal reported on X that as of Oct. 24, they had responded to over 260 incidents of people receiving “backlash targeting their livelihoods and careers” after voicing support for Palestine.

There is no justification for violence and hate speech; it is devastating to see the rates at which this behavior has escalated in recent weeks. It is even more devastating to see it occurring in the Ithaca community, especially to such an extreme, violent degree. 

For many people, the Israel-Hamas War has been used as an excuse to push existing bigoted ideologies; that is what these words and acts of hate represent, more than any kind of support or opposition to the conflict itself. Threatening, insulting or attacking members of the community based on perceptions of their identity, nationality or religion is not going to have an impact on the war or productive change, it will only cause further harm and destabilize communities.