A public Zoom lecture hosted by Queens College was hijacked by a barrage of antisemitic slurs, violent threats, and obscene images. The speaker, Israeli law professor Yofi Tirosh, was targeted by a single individual who used multiple accounts to flood the session with vulgar and hateful content, including calls to “kill all the Jews.” The college has condemned the incident, calling it an act of antisemitism.
Tirosh, a professor at Tel Aviv University, was invited to speak on gender equality and democratic backsliding in Israel. The lecture was organized by Queens College’s Center for Jewish Studies and began as a public academic discussion. Moments into her remarks, the Zoom session was overrun by graphic pornography, violent imagery, and antisemitic slogans referencing the Holocaust.
The disruption prompted a brief pause while moderators worked to remove the infiltrators. Despite the chaos, Tirosh resumed her lecture after the attackers were removed. According to a college spokesperson, the disruption was traced to one individual using multiple logins to exploit Zoom’s screen-sharing feature. The college stated it had taken “immediate action” and had adjusted its security protocols for future events.
In a post-event statement, Queens College denounced the incident as “a heinous act of antisemitism” and reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all students and faculty. The statement emphasized the need to stand against bigotry and hate in all forms.
Tirosh criticized the attack, stating that disrupting a scholarly lecture does not advance any cause. She added that the actions of the disruptor were not only offensive but completely unrelated to the subject of the event. The professor expressed disappointment but praised the college for continuing the session despite the interruption.
The incident reflects a troubling trend of online antisemitic harassment, particularly targeting Israeli academics and Jewish institutions. It raises concerns about the security of public academic events and the broader implications of allowing hate speech to derail open dialogue in educational settings.
The college’s response signals an ongoing effort by academic institutions to confront antisemitism while preserving the freedom to engage in scholarly discourse.
