Pro-Hamas Protesters Disrupt Peace Panel, 16 Arrested [WATCH]

A panel discussion at Cornell University meant to foster dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian leaders was disrupted by anti-Israel protesters on Monday.

The event, titled “Pathways to Peace,” featured former Israeli Foreign Minister and Vice Prime Minister Tzipi Livni, as well as former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel B. Shapiro.

The discussion quickly turned chaotic when demonstrators began chanting antisemitic slogans and heckling the speakers.

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Footage from the event, shared by Cornell student Sam Friedman, captured the moment when protesters erupted in shouting.

“F**k you, war criminals,” one student, wearing a keffiyeh, yelled at the panel. Other demonstrators joined in, chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a slogan widely condemned as antisemitic by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

Just now @Cornell protestors disrupt a panel on peace in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/TVO57HBNyv

— Sam Friedman (@_samfriedman_) March 10, 2025

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The outbursts disrupted the discussion, which was meant to explore potential pathways for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

At least 16 protesters were arrested during the incident.

Watching this pink-haired they/them student protester get arrested at Cornell University last night might be the highlight of my day.

Cornell University Police must be the most patient people in the world. pic.twitter.com/7IVJaT6wS3

— Stu (@thestustustudio) March 11, 2025

Despite the interruptions, Livni used the event to emphasize the importance of acknowledging the concerns of both Israelis and Palestinians.

“I’m not here to open the kind of blame game, who is to blame, because I do believe, even now, after Oct. 7, that the only way forward, if we want to live in peace, is to acknowledge both sides, the legitimate aspiration of both sides, to a state of their own, Israel and the Palestinians,” Livni said.

The panel discussion was moderated by Ryan Crocker, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Syria.

Activist groups, including Students for Justice in Palestine, claimed the panel was unfairly skewed despite including voices from both Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

Before the event began, a banner was displayed outside calling for a walkout in protest of Livni’s participation.

Livni, who led Israel’s military campaign in Gaza from 2008-09 known as “Operation Cast Lead,” has been the target of an arrest warrant in the UK over allegations of war crimes.

Michael Kotlikoff, Cornell’s interim president, had previously stated that the event was designed to encourage open debate and challenge misconceptions about the Middle East conflict.

“This is a region with a long and complex history, which has too often, in recent years, been reduced to binaries,” Kotlikoff said in a statement ahead of the event, as reported by the Cornell Chronicle.

“Through hearing firsthand from experts with direct, on-the-ground experience of the peace process, its collapse and the events of the past decades, we hope to challenge those misconceptions, and deepen our community’s understanding of the region’s current challenges and realities.”

Despite his call for open dialogue, the protest ultimately derailed the event, forcing authorities to step in and arrest multiple individuals.

Following the disruption, law enforcement intervened to restore order.

The 16 arrested protesters face potential disciplinary action from the university, and it remains unclear whether charges will be filed.

The incident highlights ongoing tensions surrounding discussions of the Israel-Palestine conflict on college campuses, where free speech and protest rights frequently clash.

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