Cornell’s Jewish president clashes with students following debate about Israel

Key Points:

• Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff and pro-Palestinian student protesters clashed after a campus debate on Israel, with protesters surrounding his car and accusing him of backing into one of them; Kotlikoff denied the allegations and described the incident as harassment and intimidation.
• The protesters, from Students for a Democratic Cornell, released a video alleging the president ran over a protester's foot, while Cornell released a fuller video showing students surrounding the car but no apparent injuries, framing the event as harassment.
• The incident follows a history of tensions at Cornell over pro-Palestinian protests, including a $60 million settlement over federal antisemitism allegations and new protest regulations implemented under pressure from the Trump administration.
• The confrontation occurred after a two-part Israel-Palestine debate series featuring speakers with opposing views, including pro-Israel historian Benny Morris and pro-Palestinian historian Norman Finkelstein, highlighting ongoing campus divisions on the issue.
• Kotlikoff, who became president in early 2025, has rejected calls from pro-Palestinian students to sever ties with Israel's Technion University but encourages academic debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, despite recent campus unrest.