Rutgers drops graduation speaker over pro-Palestinian social media posts
Mafia waves Palestinian flag during heated drag race
A reckless street invasion involving more than 100 cars broke out in Maspeth, Queens, on Saturday morning; A crowd waving Palestinian flags ignited fires and jumped on an NYPD patrol car, smashing its windshield.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Rutgers University has pulled the plug on its planned commencement speaker after criticism of Israel sparked a backlash and led the school to reverse course.
The move comes after Rami Elghandour, a university graduate and CEO of biotechnology company Arcellx, used his social media account to accuse Israel of committing war crimes and deliver other anti-Israel messages.
Elghandour also executive produced a documentary about a young Palestinian girl killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
He was scheduled to speak at the College of Engineering meeting on May 15 before the decision was rescinded, according to a report by the Associated Press.
RUTGERS STUDENTS ACCUSE BIDEN ADMINISTRATOR OF ‘Disconnecting’ RUTGERS from ANTISEMISM
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights logo is painted on concrete at SHI Stadium before the game against the Oregon Ducks on October 18, 2025 in Piscataway, NJ. (Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
A Rutgers spokesperson told the AP that the university changed course after learning that “some graduating students would not be able to attend the commencement ceremony due to concerns about the invited speaker’s social media posts.”
However, the spokesperson declined to specify which posts led to the decision.
Neither Rutgers nor Elghandour immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN DEI OFFICIAL FIRED AFTER MAKING ANTI-OATHER STATEMENTS: REPORT
Protesters attend a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Leipzig, Germany, on January 17. (Christian Mang/Reuters)
One Statement to The GuardianA university spokesperson said: “This decision keeps the focus on our engineering students and honors the celebratory spirit of the event to ensure no graduate feels forced to choose between their personal beliefs and the convocation ceremony.”
In an interview with the publication, Elghandour said he found it “confusing” that the university canceled him for the same humanitarian views he “advocates.”
Elghandour’s cancellation is the latest example of anti-Israel sentiment causing controversy on college campuses.
NYU PAUSES THE DIPLOMA OF AN ANTI-ISRAEL STUDENT WHO REFERRED TO THE GAZA WAR AS ‘GENOCIDE’ DURING HIS GRADUATION SPEECH
Rutgers University students set up a Gaza solidarity camp on the Newark campus in Newark, NJ, on May 21, 2024. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu)
Another recent example was when a professor at the University of Michigan greeted protesters in Gaza during his commencement speech.
The university president later apologized for the incident and said the sentiments expressed in the speech were “hurtful and insensitive to many members of our community.”
“On a day dedicated to celebration and achievement, we regret the pain this has caused. The university apologizes for this.” Times of Israel report.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
