Dear Professor Kamtekar,
We are the Cornellians for Israel Executive Board. Allow us to be clear about why we petitioned against Kehlani: It is not because she supports the Palestinian people, nor that she has criticized the war in Gaza — it’s that she calls for violence against Jews.
You defend Kehlani’s rhetoric as “political opposition to Israel and the Israeli government.” However, Kehlani’s beliefs extend past political opposition: Kehlani posted on her Instagram “DISMANTLE ISRAEL” and posted a map of the region that eliminates Israel. You argue your disapproval of the Indian government does not make you anti-Indian. Criticizing a government is political discourse; calling for the eradication of a nation is not.
In a story on her Instagram Kehlani shared a post calling Zionists “evil” and added her own thoughts, writing, “the scum of the earth. You’re the scum of the earth… go to hell.” Zionism is the belief that the Jewish people have the right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. Seeing as the vast majority of Jews identify as Zionists, Kehlani’s comment goes past political activism and becomes directly hateful towards individuals on our campus.
Kehlani’s calls for violence against Jews are inseparable from her music. Her “Next 2 U” music video begins with the statement “LONG LIVE THE INTIFADA.” The direct translation of the word intifada is “uprising or rebellion” but it specifically refers to two violent uprisings that targeted Israeli citizens — stabbing and bombing families in cafes, civilians on buses, students in schools — simply for being citizens of the only Jewish state. Her statement is not political criticism, it is a dangerous endorsement of violence, terror and hatred.
We would not feel safe attending Slope Day with a headliner who calls for the destruction of the Jewish people and Israel, the only Jewish state, both on social media and in her music. There is no “double standard” — a Slope Day artist who calls for the destruction of any people should be unacceptable.
As President Kotlikoff wrote in a statement, Slope Day is a “high-profile event that reaches the entire campus… and … every person should feel included at the signature social event of the year.” When political speakers who hold all kinds of opinions are invited to campus, their events are not meant for all students and don’t claim to promote unity and celebration of campus life.
Our community took a few courses of action to advocate for ourselves: We spoke to President Kotlikoff, laid out our concerns and shared a petition. We have not called for violence or taken violent action. To imply that our advocacy is responsible for a federal investigation into antisemitism on campus is illogical. It is inconsistent and unfair to scapegoat students raising concerns about a singer who calls for violence against Jews.
It is a double standard to call us out for making you “feel unsafe” by raising our concerns about Kehlani, when in fact, you wrote an opinion piece defending students for unauthorized use of university property during the encampment and said nothing when our campus was vandalized multiple times in the name of “supporting Palestine.”
In regard to your comment that “the petition’s content has vanished,” we closed the petition form when the school announced that they rescinded Kehlani’s invitation to perform, as we did not require additional signatories. Here is the petition statement for additional clarity. We find it inappropriate to publicly call out a student group without any prior outreach to gain more information. No Cornell professor should take it lightly when any student says they feel unsafe.
You say you have “no personal stake in Slope Day or Kehlani’s performance.” We do. We hope to have a fun, memorable and apolitical Slope Day together with the entire Cornell community.
Cornellians for Israel Executive Board
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