Cornell University student arrested for making threatening comments towards Jewish peers

A Cornell University student named Patrick Dai has been arrested by the police in New York for allegedly posting violent threats against his Jewish classmates. Using the username "hamas" on the website Greekrank, Dai threatened to shoot Jewish students at the prestigious university. He is a 21-year-old third-year student at Cornell. The FBI has charged him with posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. He is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. In his posts, Mr. Dai threatened to bring a gun to campus, rape Jewish women, and "behead any Jewish babies." The threats were made towards a university building that housed a kosher cafeteria and was located next to the Cornell Jewish Center. Governor Kathy Hochul expressed her commitment to combating hate and bias during her visit to the Cornell campus. The Cornell Daily Sun reported a series of anti-Semitic comments posted on Greekrank. Although the platform is not affiliated with the university, many of its students use it to discuss fraternity and sorority life on various campuses. One comment titled "if i see another jew" used slurs against Jewish people and threatened violence, stalking, and rape against them. Molly Goldstein, co-president of the Cornell Center for Jewish Living, described how Jewish students on campus are terrified for their lives. These threats against Cornell's Jewish community come at a time of increasing reports of anti-Semitic incidents nationwide. FBI Director Christopher Wray informed a congressional committee that anti-Semitic abuse has reached "historic levels" in the United States. He cited statistics that show Jewish Americans make up only 2.4% of the population but represent about 60% of all religious-based hate crimes. Wray also noted that the figure has likely risen since the Israel-Gaza conflict escalated. Addressing the issue, the Biden administration announced that it is working to combat anti-Semitism and hate speech on campuses by increasing communication with local, state, and federal authorities. The Israel-Gaza conflict has contributed to rising tensions among students on American campuses, such as the incident at George Washington University where anti-Semitic messages were projected onto a campus library. Additionally, an elite law firm rescinded job offers for three Ivy League students due to letters expressing support for Palestinians and blaming Israel for the Hamas attacks.