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Brooklyn College Volleyball Players Called Out For 'Anti-Semitism' After Kneeling For Israeli National Anthem
03 March
Sarah Serfaty / Facebook
While visiting Yeshiva University last week for a college volleyball game, two players from Brooklyn College took a knee during the airing of the Israeli national anthem, "Hatikvah."
The two players are now being accused of "anti-Semitism."
<p>Prior to each game, <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/02/29/brooklyn-college-volleyball-players-kneel-during-israeli-anthem/" target="_blank">Yeshiva University</a> plays both the United States' national anthem as well as the Israeli national anthem. </p><p>The President of YU, Dr. Ari Berman, said he was happy the University was in a position to support both countries. </p><p><strong>Berman stated: </strong></p><blockquote><em>"[The school is] </em><em>proud to be the only university who sings both the American and Israeli national anthems before every athletic competition and major event."</em></blockquote><p>But when the two opposing players, identified as Omar Rezika and Hunnan Butt, took a knee during the playing of Israel's national anthem, YU students in the stands were shook. </p><p><div id="c7da91bc-8e44-492f-b7fd-c382c0e55bda"></div></p><p><strong>One student at Yeshiva University's Stern College for Women, commented: </strong></p><blockquote><em>"I saw these two guys kneeling and I honestly had to [do] a double take … and I was shocked, my heart felt ripped out of my chest."</em></blockquote><p>One of the audience members, Sarah Serfaty, recorded a video of the anthem being played and the players who took a knee.</p><p> <strong>She later posted it to Facebook and captioned it: </strong></p><blockquote><em>"I don't care what your political beliefs are, have some respect. This is Anti-Semitism. This is not a place to make a religious or political statement, respect the other team. Show sportsmanship and tolerance."</em></blockquote><p><strong>You can watch the brief video here:</strong></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4edd09ee3685064686a19171ee9d7896"><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/sarah.serfaty.9/videos/3087703064624000/" data-allowfullscreen="true"></div></div><p>Many commenters concurred. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjgzOTcwNS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNDY5NTMxMH0.cWR5J_ee4JMtbTCyrIaxzxRn1CWWkHpclns4TOQRdow/img.png?width=980" id="2d179" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3cf06074c8e25a810a166c024702f346" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit..."> Facebook</small></p><p><br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjgzOTcwNy9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MjUzMjExM30.TrpP7nMtRmsXvjZdXQTJmGE0jpp5rII7a8R2waH9xfw/img.png?width=980" id="18715" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1d55576b0d7623df5cebffd135f24aa9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit..."> Facebook</small></p><p><br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjgzOTcwOS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjU5NDgzMX0.dR77vxg2nKuWPSXBtI8Zb-Po8ohoDrHT7SeSVI_Cf8E/img.png?width=980" id="8ce31" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0237d7ca78dc42fdc4d021a684a5046a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit..."> Facebook</small></p><p><br></p><p>The President of Brooklyn College, Michelle Anderson, defended the students' actions by reiterating that they were protected by the first amendment. <br></p><p><div id="action_button_container"></div></p><p><strong>Anderson stated:</strong></p><blockquote><em>"The students' kneeling itself is protected speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The college, as a public institution, is bound by the First Amendment, which prohibits the suppression of speech based solely on its content or viewpoint."</em></blockquote><p><strong>The college also disputed Serfaty's initial report that the two players also refused to shake YU players' hands.</strong></p><p><div data-conversation-spotlight=""></div></p><blockquote>"Brooklyn College strongly condemns all forms of anti-Semitism and hatred. The two students who knelt during the national anthem did not refuse to shake hands with players from the other team."</blockquote><p><strong>Yeshiva University disputed that claim as well.</strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="dbffc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="Y6ZHU31583265800"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1231722185460416519" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@ChoveveiZion @BrooklynCollege @YUNews @CUNY Your tweet is not accurate. Please rest assured that if anything like… https://t.co/bBdeZsCMcc</div> — Yeshiva Maccabees (@Yeshiva Maccabees)<a href="https://twitter.com/YUathletics/statuses/1231722185460416519">1582500427.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p>Kneeling during a national anthem has gained prominence as a means of political protest over the past several years with Colin Kaepernick's kneeling during the U.S. national anthem to protest police brutality against African-Americans. <br></p><p><strong>Many on Twitter supported Rezika's and Butt's protest</strong>.</p>
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</p><div id="0010e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="BL8EVP1583265800"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1233869409053216776" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Two volleyball players from Brooklyn College, Hunnan Butt and Omar Rezika, decided to kneel before a game on Februa… https://t.co/cs1iOprWbR</div> — Palestine SunBird (@Palestine SunBird)<a href="https://twitter.com/PalSunBird/statuses/1233869409053216776">1583012365.0</a></blockquote></div>
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</p><div id="966b8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5NLUT91583265800"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1232851671878918145" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">🎥: A Brooklyn College volleyball player that posted “Free Palestine 🇵🇸” on his Facebook page took a knee during the… https://t.co/V4NglvGtTY</div> — Resist Programming 🛰 (@Resist Programming 🛰)<a href="https://twitter.com/RzstProgramming/statuses/1232851671878918145">1582769718.0</a></blockquote></div>
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</p><div id="5b89a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="NEMEVP1583265800"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1233602823281049601" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Following in the footsteps of former NFL star Colin Kaepernick, Hunnan Bhat and Omar Rezika have 'taken a knee' in… https://t.co/YfabBdLoXZ</div> — Middle East Eye (@Middle East Eye)<a href="https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye/statuses/1233602823281049601">1582948806.0</a></blockquote></div>
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<p>Just as Kaepernick should not be seen as anti-American for his protests, nor should these students be seen as anti-semitic for theirs.</p>
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