May 30, 2025
Yesterday, during the MIT 2025 graduation, a student speaker wrapped in a keffiyeh took the opportunity to hijack the ceremony and to dedicate the entirety of her speech to berating and defaming Israel and promoting Hamas-inspired propaganda. One attendee, who travelled from Israel with his family to receive his Ph.D. diploma, commented that his children were distraught over the speech, and he needed to explain to them why a random person half-way across the world hates them.
This is not what a graduation ceremony is meant to be. A graduation ceremony is meant to honor its graduates and their accomplishments.
MIT JAA is profoundly disappointed in the MIT leadership and administration who failed to prevent a rogue student from taking over yesterday’s graduation ceremony that was meant to celebrate the achievements of its student body.
MIT JAA is also profoundly disappointed in President Sally Kornbluth, who, speaking immediately after the student speaker, failed to address or acknowledge what had transpired.
We expect MIT to take immediate disciplinary action against this student speaker.