GUEST ROOM | Kotlikoff Weaponizes Dialogue

Milton Taam graduated from the College of Engineering in 1973 and was issued persona non grata after the April 30 car incident with President Michael Kotlikoff. 

I’m the Cornell alum who, along with four students, conversed and walked with President Michael Kotlikoff to his car after the Cornell Political Union Israel-Palestine debate featuring Norman Finkelstein on April 30. 

I'm disappointed that Kotlikoff broke off the dialogue with concerned students, and instead responded to them by weaponizing his car and the next day using his power and privilege as University president to issue an email blast to the entire Cornell community against them (and me?). 

The night began with the hope of exchange of ideas. My wife and I arrived at the debate early and sat in the front row. We were surprised and gratified to see President Kotlikoff also in the front, only a dozen seats away. 

It seemed a good opportunity to help President Kotlikoff learn more about the topic of the evening. My wife gave Kotlikoff a copy of our new book and explained it was co-authored by Cornell alums. Palestine - People, Land, and Solidarity: With Our Own Eyes is our first-hand visual chronicle of a people struggling for their land and freedom across decades, and the impact on the Cornell campus. I was excited to see him sitting with the book on his lap.

The hall was jam-packed and buzzing with enthusiastic students, many in suits. The MC, from the Cornell Political Union, emphasized the pride the group took in having such diverse co-hosts, including Students for Justice in Palestine and Cornellians for Israel.

President Kotlikoff gave a brief opening speech. Norman Finkelstein rose to the podium, which was directly across from Kotlikoff.

Dr. Finkelstein began with pointed criticism of the Cornell administration for suspending, repressing and risking deportation of Cornell students who called for the divestment from weapons manufacturers and spoke in solidarity with Palestinians. He emphasized that it’s not too late for the administration to reverse course and honor the students who risked themselves and their education for Palestine.

Finkelstein then gave a searing indictment of Israel. He compared Palestinian conditions and actions to those of the enslaved people who joined Nat Turner’s 1831 rebellion . An academic, researcher, author and historian, Finkelstein offered eloquent arguments, context and through lines for his debate position: “Resolved, Israel was not justified in its response to October 7th.”

The moderator suggested the audience express agreement with the speaker’s account by stomping feet, and disagreement with the speaker by hissing. The low rumbling of feet swelled to a surge as Finkelstein spoke about how the devastation of Gaza preceded Oct. 7 by decades, how Israel massacred Palestinians in Gaza in Operation Cast Lead (2008), Pillar of Defense (2012) and Protective Edge (2014), and when Palestinians in Gaza attempted a nonviolent movement, “The Great March of Return” they were shot and killed by Israeli snipers.

Next, eight student members of the Cornell Political Union took the floor. A supporter of Israel based their case on the 1988 Hamas Charter, and another noted that it has been changed. A student with great flair listed all the West Asian countries who have not “taken in” Palestinians, then another rebutted that this would amount to participation in ethnic cleansing. One student debater listed so many statistics of genocide that he reached the conclusion that Israelis and supporters who don’t recognize the humanity of Palestinians have lost their own humanity. 

I had entered not knowing what to expect and was struck how overwhelmingly critical the audience was of Israel, the Cornell administration and Kotlikoff.

One student debater directed a comment to President Kotlikoff by name, urging him to learn from all this. I looked at Kotlikoff for his reaction, since the last two years of his leadership left me with the impression he was a committed supporter of Israel. His face appeared stoic.

It was then that I recalled being in Barton Hall in 1969, when Cornell President Perkins met with 8,000 students in the wake of the Willard Straight Hall takeover. I wondered, if in the same situation, would President Kotlikoff rise to the occasion and have the same openness as Perkins?

After the debate and resounding applause, I saw Kotlikoff leaving and thought it was an opportunity to talk with him. My wife rushed in one direction to give Dr. Finkelstein a copy of our book, and I headed in the other. In the hallway, I listened as students asked Kotlikoff about student arrests and suspensions. During a pause I introduced myself to President Kotlikoff as co-author of the book which he still carried. 

When students asked Kotlikoff about arrests of Cornell students on campus, I mentioned to Kotlikoff that I, too, had been arrested. “Where?” he asked. “At Bailey Hall, last year,” I replied. I told him that my charges were dismissed and that six of us have filed a lawsuit against Cornell, CUPD and him for falsely arresting us and violating protected political expression.

I spoke no more, as I was interested to hear what students were thinking. I focused on my decades-long role as a citizen photojournalist and followed along. The students, led by a young woman, continued questioning Kotlikoff about speech and repression on campus. I was impressed with their questions. Roughly halfway to Day Hall, Kotlikoff told the students he had nothing else to say and did not want to be photographed. 

When we reached the Day Hall parking lot, Kotlikoff entered his car, although students seemed to want to continue talking with him. As I prepared to leave, I suddenly heard a student shout that his foot was run over. I was relieved that he appeared to be standing and not seriously injured. 

At this point I was naturally concerned about the safety of the students, so I approached Kotlikoff’s car window and knocked on it to try to inform him that a person’s foot was run over. When he seemed unwilling to open his window to talk, I went to the front of the car and took a photo to document the situation. I then decided I was vulnerable to serious injury by President Kotlikoff because he continued to drive aggressively towards me. Fearing for my own safety I moved to the side. Kotlikoff then exited the Day Hall parking lot without acknowledging what he’d done and without talking with any of the five people. I suggested the student call CUPD to report the incident.  Soon I heard the student talking with a person appearing to be CUPD, giving the license plate of the car and apparent direction it was heading. 

I hope President Kotlikoff will read our book and learn more. I also hope the Cornell community will not allow the president to threaten the safety of the students and other community members. And finally, I hope we can continue the important dialogue and free expression with which we began the evening.

POSTSCRIPT: On May 4, the Cornell University Police Department served me with a “Persona-Non-Grata Notice,” banning me from campus for three years.

Milton Taam ENG ’73. With a lifelong commitment to people and planet, Taam has modeled zero-carbon options for Cornell’s heating system and has been a modest funder of Cornell clean energy startups. He is co-author of Palestine - People, Land, and Solidarity: With Our Own Eyes, a book featuring his photojournalism in 1977 throughout Lebanon and Palestine, including Gaza; in Palestine in 2009; and of student activism in support of Palestinians and against genocide, 2024-present. The book is available to read online and purchase at freeppls.org.

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