Cornell University under fire for inviting ‘Jew-hater’ Kehlani to perform, ‘Jewish safety and wellbeing are negotiable’

Cornell University is under fire for inviting entertainer Kehlani, who is known for having bashed Jews in the past, to perform on campus on May 7. Kehlani has a music video that begins with “Long live the Intifada,” and has even shared a map online that eliminates the state of Israel. She has also refused to condemn the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

Cornell University under fire for inviting ‘Jew-hater’ Kehlani to perform (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)(Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Cornell invited the multi-Grammy Award-nominated R&B artist after the Trump administration froze $1 billion in federal funding to the Ivy League school. A civil-rights probe is also underway to determine if the university failed to prevent antisemitic discrimination and harassment on campus.

“Kehlani isn’t just an artist with controversial views — she is someone who has publicly glorified violence against Jews and consistently promoted dangerous, antisemitic rhetoric that directly threatens our community,” said Cornell student Amanda Silberstein, according to the New York Post.

Silberstein, a 21-year-old junior, is president of the Chabad Center at the school and vice president of the group Cornell for Israel. She further said, “For a university that claims to value inclusion and the safety for all students, this decision is not just tone-deaf — it’s profoundly alienating.”

Silberstein added, “By inviting someone with such a deeply troubling history of antisemitism to headline one of our most high-profile campus events, Cornell is sending a message that Jewish safety and wellbeing are negotiable.”

Kehlani’s history of antisemitic behaviour

The watchdog group StopAntisemitism previously highlighted that Kehlani has antisemitic views, accusing her of using her platform “to spread hate and violence against the world’s only Jewish state to her 20 million followers.” “Kehlani has staunchly supported the terrorist regime Hamas under the guise of “resistance.” She has carried her beliefs so far as to curate an entire music video focused on her admiration of the violence carried out by the terrorists of October 7th. Her “Next 2 U” music video starts with “Long live the Intifada” across the screen and features dancers in keffiyehs waving Palestinian flags,” the group noted, adding that the perform has “refused to condemn Hamas or the large participation of Gazan civilians in the massacre” following the October 7 attack on Israel.

The group also noted how Kehlani previously uttered rants including, “Zionists are all evil” and Zionists are the “scum of the earth” and they should all “go to hell.” “In additional Instagram stories, Kehlani falsely accused Israeli forces of beheading Palestinian babies and intentionally burning people alive, the actual things that were done to Israelis on 10/7,” it added.

StopAntisemitism founder Liora Rez reportedly said after Cornell’s invite to Kehlani, “Now, Cornell is doubling down by featuring vile Jew-hater Kehlani as a headliner for their end-of-year celebration. Kehlani uses her platform of 20 million followers, more than the number of Jews on the planet, to incite hate against the world’s only Jewish state. She openly calls for intifada, the violent targeting of Jews, and the eradication of Zionists, code for over 95% of the global Jewish population.”

“Black students wouldn’t be expected to welcome a KKK rock band on campus. Asian students weren’t told, `Asian hate …Get over it.’ So why are Jewish students treated as the exception?” Rez added.

Cornell University defends the move

Cornell, defending the invitation, said Kehlani will be performing at the request of a student-run group on “Slope Day,” which is an end-of-year celebration for students. “The headliner is selected by the student-run Slope Day Planning Board following a poll of students,” a Cornell rep said. “Kehlani was chosen based on her popularity and the genre of her music. She recently performed at Northeastern University without political expression or incident.”

“The personal views expressed by this artist are their own and do not represent the university. However, the artist must uphold Cornell’s anti-discrimination policies, which includes prohibition of political expression as part of the concert. Failure to do so constitutes breach of contract and will result in loss of payment,” the group added.

Cornell has been in the midst of controversies over several anti-Israel protests. Last year, student Patrick Da pleaded guilty to threatening to kill Jews in posts on the website of the university.