A undergraduate at Cornell University was taken into custody on Tuesday after it was claimed that he had threatened to harm Jewish students at the university online.
Governor Kathy Hochul reports that he was questioned earlier on Tuesday by state police and the FBI’s joint terrorist task force.
Allegedly, Patrick Dai made antisemitic remarks online.
21-year-old Patrick Dai has been detained, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York, for posting hateful messages online, such as “If you see a Jewish ‘person’ on campus follow them home and slit their throats.”
Related Posts
According to the FBI, Dai is a resident of the Rochester region and is accused of utilizing interstate communications to post threats of killing or injuring someone else.
In addition to other violent posts, the lawsuit claims he allegedly threatened to shoot up 104 West, the university’s kosher dining hall.
“My family, last night, we had a discussion whether it’s safe for me to be on campus or whether I should come back home,” Davian Gekman, who is a freshman, said.
Outside the Cornell Center for Jewish Living, state police are currently stationed.
The governor committed to hasten safety enhancements, according to Leron Thumim, a Cornell graduate and head of the Cornell Jewish Life Fund.
“Just because it was one person doesn’t mean that’s the sole reason to be afraid,” he went on to say.
One Westchester student posted images of the words “new intifada” written on a campus pavement and “Zionism equals genocide.”
“We don’t feel like we’re in 2023.” “It feels like we’re in Nazi Germany,” one pupil said. “How are you going to think about your classes or anything?” When your life is genuinely endangered, everything feels so insignificant.”
Dai is scheduled to appear in court for the first time on Wednesday in Syracuse. If convicted, he faces up to five years in jail and a $25,000 fine.
Governor Kathy Hochul announces anti-hate efforts
The arrest comes only one day after the governor bolstered state police presence on college campuses around the state and spoke with Jewish students at Cornell.
“You may think that you can be anonymous and post what you want, but there will be consequences,” Hochul went on to say.
The governor is taking efforts to safeguard individuals in high-risk neighborhoods and on college campuses around the state. However, there is a particular emphasis on City University of New York campuses.
“We cannot allow any New Yorker to live in fear, because the day we accept that is the day our moral compass has broken and spun out of control,” Hochul said during a lecture at Columbia University on Tuesday.
After meeting with Cornell students, Hochul wasted little time in deploying state resources to uncover potential risks of violence on college campuses.
“There is zero tolerance for hate in our state,” Hochul stated.
The governor expressed particular worry about antisemitic incidents on CUNY campuses. Last May, a CUNY law graduate delivered a heated anti-Israel commencement address, and there have been recent pro-Palestinian protests.
Former state Court of Appeals Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman was appointed by Hochul to evaluate antisemitism and anti-discrimination rules at CUNY’s 25 campuses spread throughout the five boroughs.
“While his assessment will be focused on CUNY, his recommendations will be a roadmap for institutions across the state and the country,” Hochul said.
The governor, who recently visited a kibbutz near the Gaza border where Hamas massacred 70 people, has also allocated $700,000 to strengthen the operations of the state police Social Media Analysis Unit, which focuses on school violence, gang activity, and illicit weaponry. She also provided $75 million in grants to law enforcement organizations to help them combat hate crimes.
The moves come amid an alarming rise in hate crimes. According to the Anti-Defamation League, there were 312 occurrences between the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and Oct. 23, up from 64 over the same period last year.
For the same time period, the Council on American-Islamic Relations documented 110 incidences of bigotry against Muslims. In August, there were 63.
“I’ve spoken to the SUNY and CUNY chancellors and representatives of private universities to share our concerns about the consequences of free speech crossing the line into hate speech,” Hochul said in a statement.
“Antisemitism and discrimination in all its forms are unacceptable,” Lippman said in a statement, adding that he will examine CUNY regulations to ensure that all students are safe.
