This article should serve as a wake up call to any student affiliated with Cornell’s Mutual Liberation Coalition. CML routinely glorifies terrorism and demonizes students on campus. It is time for Cornell to wake up and stop CML from infiltrating campus with their destructive behavior and mentality.
Nearly five months have passed since Hamas brutally massacred, raped and kidnapped innocent civilians on October 7th. Cornell students and faculty immediately celebrated the massacre at rallies and online, supporting the terrorists, and now our campus has devolved into anarchy.
Radicals, consumed by fear of confronting challenging conversations, hide behind masks and screens rather than engage in dialogue. CML and its supporters scream slogans and hold die-ins and walk-outs in a concerted effort to silence other students through mob intimidation.
CML’s stated goal is to promote liberation, but in practice, they simply disrupt campus as much as possible. On February 8th, CML hosted protests in which students laid on the floors of four libraries, yelling and inhibiting students’ ability to continue studying. Two weeks later, on Feb. 22, classes were disrupted by a CML mob of protesters with megaphones in Duffield Hall. Most recently, on March 6th, their protest in Klarman Hall violated the Cornell protesting and postering policies, hanging a massive banner accusing President Pollack of having blood on her hands. Multiple students taking classes in Goldwin Smith explained that as a result, their classes were interrupted and an even exam was cut short due to the inability to focus. Spoiler alert: disrupting students’ learning did not “Free Palestine.”
This semester, I took part in a mediated effort to compromise with CML over an Israeli divestment resolution they brought to the Student Assembly. Despite multiple proposed compromises, CML refused to concede to anything that did not fit their exact agenda. They insisted on holding the only Jewish state to an egregious double standard, and proceeded to bring their bigoted resolution to the Student Assembly floor.
The public accusation against Cornellians for Israel for putting on “a rape theater spectacle” is CML’s most recent attempt to tear this campus apart. They claimed that CFI student leaders were planning a graphic demonstration to simulate Hamas’ sexual abuse. They emailed this accusation to the administration. Though the administration offered to meet with CML and emphasized the importance of open communication, CML told the administration it would publicize its allegation regardless within 24 hours.
As a Cornellians for Israel student leader, I can confirm that this event idea was immediately dismissed when brought up to the board. Should CML have reached out to verify the accuracy of their accusation, that is exactly what I would have told them. CML’s deliberate attempts to disrupt campus at large, spread inaccurate slanderous information and cause chaos are abhorrent. Their actions violate the core values of this institution, not to mention decency and common sense.
The hypocrisy of the CML is striking. The group supports the Houthis, another terrorist organization, whose slogan reads: “God is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam.” By hosting a vigil to honor the “martyrs,” including Aaron Bushnell who committed suicide while yelling “free Palestine,” CML promotes the idea that such actions are not wrong; on the contrary, they are praiseworthy. It is sending the terrifying message that self-harm is an appropriate and admirable response to disagreement.
CML’s agenda seems to advance anti-American and anti-democratic values in a way that intends to intimidate any dissent. This poses a threat to free expression at Cornell and the values upon which our institution was founded.
The Coalition for Mutual Liberation at Cornell, as demonstrated by their continued behavior, is not working to create an environment conducive to discovering truth through teaching, debate and learning. Rather than spreading lies, disrupting students’ learning and creating a tense campus environment, we should all work to create a campus that embraces critical thinking, collaboration, and ethnic and intellectual diversity.
CML’s mission and behavior is out of line with Cornell’s mission, University policies and basic respect for the Cornell community. Cornell must begin meaningfully enforcing its code of conduct against students and University organizations leading these disruptive activities for the well being of all its students. The administration has a choice. Either it will stand by University values or it will sit idly on the sidelines as CML continues to try to take over Cornell by mob intimidation.
Talia Dror is a student leader for Cornellians For Israel. She has written for the New York Times and testified in front of the US Congress on the topic of antisemitism. She can be reached at [email protected].
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