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Alma Mater at Columbia University, 3 September 2024. Photo by Wyatt King / Columbia Daily Spectator, via Wikimedia Commons; modified by The Key.
Two weeks ago, during orientation at Columbia University, videos showing Israeli soldiers – some dressed as pro-Palestinian protesters – harassing passersby outside campus went viral. One of the men can be seen with a keffiyeh on his head and a Palestinian flag in hand, standing near the university’s gates. One faculty member – formerly my professor – was lured into speaking to the man because of his disguise. Upon seeing her keffiyeh-patterned anklet, he accosted her. Israeli soldiers quickly encircled her, recorded her, and interrogated her about her origins. As the commotion grew, a man in a ski mask approached the group, claiming he was there to “protect” the soldiers.
The man was eventually identified as Adi Karni, who claimed the stunt was necessary because people listened more to “Hamas terrorists” than the Israeli military. Karni was acting on behalf of Frontline Advocates, an organization which sends Israeli soldiers to college campuses to disseminate pro-Israel propaganda, instigate conflict and clip it for social media.
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