NEW YORK (JTA) — Two volleyball players from Brooklyn College took a knee during the playing of “Hatikvah,” Israel’s national anthem, before a match at Yeshiva University.
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The controversial protest gesture by Omar Rezika and Hunnan Butt was captured on video and posted on social media.
During today's Yeshiva U. vs. Brooklyn College basketball game, two players (Omar Rezika #13 and Hunnan Butt #15) decided to kneel during Hatikvah.
Post game, the same players refuse to shake the hands with the Yeshiva (i.e. Jewish) players.#Antisemitism at its finest! pic.twitter.com/9SoIoQNOJe
— StopAntisemitism.org (@StopAntisemites) February 24, 2020
“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,” a Brooklyn College spokesperson told the YU student newspaper, the Observer. Their kneeling is protected by the First Amendment.”
Some alleged on social media that the two players refused to shake hands with their YU counterparts at the end of Sunday’s match, but both YU and Brooklyn College officials asserted that no one refused to shake hands.
Your tweet is not accurate. Please rest assured that if anything like that should ever occur we would handle it through the proper channels.
— Yeshiva Maccabees (@YUathletics) February 23, 2020
Ari Berman, the president of Yeshiva University, told the Observer: “It is unfortunate that some members of the opposing team disrespected Israel’s national anthem. We are proud to be the only university who sings both the American and Israeli national anthems before every athletic competition and major event. Nothing makes me prouder to be an American than living in a country where our religious freedom, our Zionism and our commitment to our people will never be impeded and always be prized.”
The kneeling gesture was made popular several years ago by one-time NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who would kneel during the playing of the American national anthem to protest the treatment of minorities in the United States.
these Pakistanis will soon take over Flatbush
As a firm believer in the right to freedom of speech, there’s not much we can do to prevent. If don’t we want this type of action to spread, we should not bring attention to it.
Oh, darn! Too late!
if not for a liberals jews there would be no money for Brooklyn college capital projects.
“Post game, the same players refuse to shake the hands with the Yeshiva (i.e. Jewish) players.”
They must be trans females. Very respectful of them to avoid negia.
Why are they playing Hatikvah at a YU game in the first place? Totally inappropriate. The national anthem is played at sporting events that match the nationality of the teams that are competing. YU is a US based institution, presumably receiving funding from US government sources. It is overtly political to play the national anthem.
Even though YU prouds itself on its Zionist credentials, the opposing players are not required to be Zionists. Being a non-zionist does not make you an anti-semite.
What is racist and despicable are the lies being spread by the rabid Zionists regarding the after-game behavior of the opposing players. All evidence points to the fact that other than the kneeling, no other unsportsmanlike behavior took place. The libelous lies are more despicable than the alleged unsportsmanlike behavior (that never even took place). Who are the real bigots here?
I didnt realize y.h. plays the Israeli national anthem at games. I find that kind of weird.
No reason to play hatikvaj. Ridiculous
Why is an American University playing the Anthem of a foreign country whose not there? But remember, if anyone accuses Jews of having dual loyalty, you immediately scream, “Antisemitism”
Are they playing an Israeli team? Why would you play the Israeli anthem in the US?
The meaning of embarrassment means nothing anymore today. These 2 low lives that our guests at someone else’s home (gym) have the nerve to do their own thing that is different from what everyone else is doing. And that’s called sportsmanship? Y.U., do yourselves a favor and don’t sing any national anthems of any country. Just kiss the mezuzah and play the game, and let is ungrateful thugs go back to their hood after.
Why do some Shuls have both the American flag and the Israeli flag on the bimah? When did that custom originate?
BOROCH. IT STARTED MAINLY AT 9/11.
IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH PLEDGING ALLEGIANCE TO THE ONE G-D THAT PROVIDED A SAFE PLACE FOR YOU IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
HOW ABOUT REPHRASING THIS ANOTHER WAY. IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH PLDEGING ALLEGIANCE TO AMERICA THAT GAVE FREEDOM TO YOU COMING FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
BOROCH YOU ARE LUCKY THAT THIS IS YOUR ONLY PROBLEM TO COMPLAIN ABOUT.
in black communities they play the black national anthem called rise up or some crazy stuff like that a call to arms.
so goyish! shame on YU….
Play HaTikva, yeah, kneel? like the goyim?
Brooklyn College was too quick in defending kneeling during the Israeli National Anthem and the refusal to shake hands with Jewish students as Constitutionally protected. Protesting American racial policy during the playing of the USA National Anthem in a public institution is protected under the First Amendment guarantee of free speech. What we have not been provided with are the explanations by the two students, and the coach who turned his back (watch the video), as to what they were protesting. The message conveyed was that they were protesting playing against a Jewish team from a Jewish institution. This is blatant discrimination and is not protected by the Constitution. Brooklyn College should be compelled to further investigate the motives and intents of the protesting parties to ascertain whether the conduct was protected or whether such was discriminatory.