Two weeks ago, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett visited campus to protests and a full lecture hall. His talk was interrupted several times, including by a walkout and a fire alarm — a remarkable spate of disruptions that prompted a University investigation, a public apology from University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83, and even a stand-alone editorial in The Wall Street Journal.
On Tuesday, another prominent figure in Israeli politics — this time the Israeli ambassador to the United States — came to give a talk. This time, he was met by a scaled-down audience, a smaller protest, and no disruptions inside — as well as a small army of Public Safety (PSafe) officers, University security, and free speech coordinators to ensure nothing went awry.
Dr. Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, was hosted by B’Artzeinu Princeton and sponsored by Chabad House, the Center for Jewish Life (CJL), and Princetonians for Free Speech. During the talk, titled “The Demonization of Israel and the Rise of Antisemitism,” Leiter discussed the death of his eldest son when serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza, the challenges of mitigating civilian casualties, and what he described as an existential crisis facing the State of Israel.
Princeton Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), meanwhile, organized a protest that began at 7 p.m. outside Nassau Hall. Around 35 people attended — a mix of students and community members that included a man wearing a MAGA hat and a keffiyeh.
The protest was supervised by several clusters of PSafe officers and free expression coordinators. At one point, public safety officials intervened to remove a woman from campus, herding her toward FitzRandolph Gate. It was unclear why she was removed. The protest eventually moved to the courtyard of McCosh, where more officers and free expression coordinators awaited.
The increased supervision of the protest follows an update to University policies announced on Monday: that attendees at campus events will only receive a single warning to not disrupt before facing sanctions.
A line of Public Safety officers stood behind barricades in front of McCosh Hall.
Kenzo Salazar / The Daily Princetonian
The event with Leiter began at approximately 8:20 p.m. with a University official reading aloud the updated University policy on disruptions of speaker events. As attendees entered McCosh 10, where the event was held, B’Artzeinu distributed QR codes to report any incidents of disruption directly to free speech facilitators. Present in the lecture hall were at least six PSafe officers, along with free speech facilitators, University officials, and Israeli security members.
There were approximately 40 attendees, notably fewer compared to a previous event hosted by the CJL with former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Danielle Shapiro ’25, President Emeritus of B’Artzeinu Princeton, introduced Leiter, an American-born academic who became Israel’s ambassador to the United States in January. Leiter began by speaking about his eldest son, who was killed in Gaza while serving in the IDF in the second week after Oct. 7, 2023.
He also broadly addressed what he described as an existential threat to the state of Israel.
“It’s an existential dilemma that we’re in. It’s a very difficult situation, but the alternative ‘from the river to the sea’ is a non sequitur. It’s a non-starter,” he said. “It’s important for a lot of Jews, really, to focus on this issue of the humanization of Israel; why we can’t commit suicide as a nation.”
Outside the lecture hall, approximately 50 protestors lined the barriers set up by the University prior to the event. Around 20 PSafe officers stood around the edges of the protest and near the entrances to McCosh Hall, a significant increase from the number of officers present at the Bennett event two weeks prior. In addition to PSafe, there was a substantial presence of free speech facilitators and University officials outside the building.
During the protest, free speech coordinators asked protesters to not use amplified sound due to an event taking place in the Chapel ending at 10 p.m. University regulations permit amplified sound at protests after 5 p.m., unless it disrupts classes, lectures, or other events.
Protestors were also asked to refrain from banging on drums and to remove poles used to hold signage. The chants of protestors were clearly audible inside the lecture hall throughout the event, though Leiter did not acknowledge the protest until the end of the event.
Inside, Leiter proceeded with his talk, requesting that audience members refrain from disruption while insisting that he would “respect any question.” Leiter spoke for nearly an hour before pivoting to an audience Q&A. Addressing one question from a student, Leiter described Zionism as preceding Judaism itself, explaining that, in his view, “you can’t be anti-Zionist and be the lover of Judaism.”
Following the conclusion of the event, PSafe officers maintained the barrier between protestors and attendees exiting the building. Words were exchanged between some attendees and individuals who held a sign that read “From Trenton to Palestine, Resistance is Justified.” These verbal exchanges between protestors and attendees were quickly stopped by PSafe officers, and both groups were directed to remain within the bounds of their respective protest and counter-protest spaces.
The protest moved back to Nassau Hall before ending at approximately 10 p.m. Some protesters and attendees of the event lingered afterwards to talk, free expression coordinators watching the exchanges until the crowd dispersed.
Kian Petlin is a News contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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