A graduation ceremony at Hunter College’s Silberman School of Social Work was disrupted this month by a pro-Palestinian protest, drawing criticism from some attendees and highlighting growing tensions on U.S. campuses over the war in Gaza.
The event, held in Manhattan and part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, turned into a demonstration as students displayed Palestinian flags, chanted slogans and held signs calling for the school to divest from Israel. The protest erupted as the dean began her speech, with demonstrators shouting and some ascending the stage wearing keffiyehs.
Noriel Gedalia, a 70-year-old Israeli-American from New Jersey, attended the ceremony with his wife to celebrate his daughter’s graduation. “It was simply horrifying,” he told Ynet, an Israeli news outlet. “Pro-Palestinian students disrupted the ceremony, went on stage, and the administration did nothing to stop it. I started filming like they do, and it nearly turned violent.”
Gedalia said the protest had been widely expected, with student organizers announcing plans in advance. When the protest began, he said at least half the students in the hall clapped in support, while university officials allowed the program to continue without interruption.
“The dean acknowledged the differing opinions in her speech and continued as if nothing had happened,” Gedalia said. “That’s what shocked me the most.”
The demonstration continued outside the venue, where Gedalia confronted a group of masked protesters. He said one called him a “Zionist Nazi” and shouted graphic accusations against Israelis. Other demonstrators intervened to de-escalate the situation.
The episode, which included chants of “All eyes on Palestine” and signs accusing Israel of genocide, follows similar campus protests nationwide, including at Harvard University and Columbia University. While this year’s Harvard commencement included Palestinian flags and political statements, protests there remained largely silent.
Gedalia, who emigrated from Israel four decades ago, said the protest sparked a tense conversation with his daughter, who he said sympathizes with the demonstrators’ call to divest from Israel.
“She didn’t join the protest, but she supports it,” he said. “She suffers from ‘Bibi hatred syndrome.’ Like many Jews here, their minds were warped in school.”
He blamed “woke culture” and diversity, equity and inclusion programs for shaping his daughter’s political views. “This college sees Gaza as the oppressed,” he said. “Let them live in Sderot or Kfar Aza — they’d talk differently.”
Gedalia also defended former President Donald Trump’s policies toward universities, including efforts to restrict federal funding to institutions he believes have failed to curb antisemitism. He said he hopes the videos he took will be used to identify protesters.
“Let the administration revoke their visas,” he said. “And for those who are American citizens — don’t give them jobs. There’s a limit.”
CUNY and Hunter College officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.