NYU grad has diploma suspended over anti-Israel political rant

New York University (NYU) has suspended the diploma of one of its students after a graduation speech became an anti-Israel political rant.

Logan Rozos decided to make his stand on the war in Gaza while graduating from the Gallatin School liberal arts program. His speech included decrying “genocide” and the role the United States is playing by continuing to support Israel.

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“The genocide currently occurring is supported politically and militarily by the United States, is paid for by our tax dollars, and has been livestreamed to our phones for the past 18 months,” he said.

While the audience had mixed reactions, with many standing to applaud while others booed, it was pro-Israel groups who demanded that action be taken by the school after Rozos’s remarks went viral.

NYU spokesperson John Beckman addressed the backlash by saying the school was “deeply sorry that the audience was subjected to these remarks.” He revealed that the student had gone rogue, straying from approved remarks to make his political stance known to the world. As a result, the school was freezing his diploma while it assessed potential disciplinary action.

“He lied about the speech he was going to deliver and violated the commitment he made to comply with our rules,” Beckman said. “NYU is deeply sorry that the audience was subjected to these remarks and that this moment was stolen by someone who abused a privilege that was conferred upon him.”

Rozos believes he has a “moral and political commitment” to speak out about what is happening in Gaza.

“My moral and political commitment guide me to say that the only thing that is appropriate to say in this time and to a group this large is a recognition of the atrocities currently happening in Palestine,” he said. “I do not wish to speak only to my own politics today, but to speak for all people of conscience, and all people who feel the moral injury of this atrocity.”

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) spoke up for Jewish students who were subjected to the biased remarks.

“No student — especially Jewish students — should have to sit through politicized rhetoric that promotes harmful lies about Israel during such a personal milestone,” the organization said. “We are thankful to the NYU administration for their strong condemnation and their pursuit of disciplinary action.”

Surprising nobody, Fox News reports that Rozos “majored in cultural criticism and political economy, according to an archived version of Gallatin’s website. Rozos’ profile is no longer available on the website. ”

Perhaps NYU is taking this so seriously due to the fact that it is currently “one of 10 universities being investigated by the Trump administration’s antisemitism taskforce. The task force is examining how universities have handled alleged antisemitic incidents since the start of the Israel-Gaza war.”

Writer/Columnist

Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to BizPac Review.

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