New York University decried a student’s decision to attack Israel during a commencement speech and is withholding the student’s diploma, the school announced on Wednesday.
“NYU strongly denounces the choice by a student at the Gallatin School’s graduation” to “misuse his role as student speaker to express his personal and one-sided political views,” John Beckman, an NYU spokesman, stated.
“He lied about the speech he was going to deliver and violated the commitment he made to comply with our rules. The university is withholding his diploma while we pursue disciplinary actions,” Beckman stated. “NYU is deeply sorry that the audience was subjected to these remarks and that this moment was stolen by someone who abused a privilege that was conferred upon him.”
In an almost three-minute speech at the commencement ceremonies for NYU’s school of individualized study, Logan Rozos accused the Jewish state repeatedly of committing “genocide.”
“My moral and political commitments guide me to say that the only thing that is appropriate to say in this time and to a group this large is a recognition of the atrocities currently happening in Palestine,” Rozos said.
The student’s remarks were met with loud applause from many in the crowd.
NYU has yet to release a recording of the speech. (JNS sought comment from NYU.)
The Anti-Defamation League’s New York and New Jersey office stated that it is “appalled to hear that during NYU graduation, a student speaker altered their approved speech to make divisive and false comments about the current Israel-Hamas war.”
The ADL thanked the school administration for its “strong condemnation” and “pursuit of disciplinary action.”
“Send him off to visit Gaza,” David Friedman, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, wrote. “I’m sure he will receive a warm welcome from Hamas.”
