Prank ‘Eviction’ Notice Targets Jewish NYU Students

Delivered by members of NYU’s Students for Justice in Palestine, notices which conclude with “THIS IS NOT A REAL EVICTION NOTICE” warned students at NYU’s Palladium residence hall in Manhattan that their suites were scheduled for demolition.

“If you do not vacate the premise by midnight on 25 April, 2014 we reserve the right to destroy all remaining belongings. We cannot be held responsible for property or persons remaining inside the premises,” the notices read, according to The Times of Israel by NYU student Laura Adkins, vice president of the school’s pro-Israel advocacy group, TorchPAC.

Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) called the prank racist and urged NYU to condemn it.

“Their attacks directly targeted Jewish students for no other reason than the fact that they are Jews,” Hikind said. “No one knew their political views, their opinions on Middle East policies. Maybe these students are Zionists, maybe they’re not. It would have been wrong regardless, but the point is clear. The threats and intimidation were racially motivated. This was pure hate.”

School officials told the New York Post that they did not know why activists specifically targeted their university.

“A flyer titled ‘eviction notice’ anonymously slipped under doors at night is not an invitation to thoughtful, open discussion,” said NYU spokesman John Beckman said. “It is disappointingly inconsistent with standards we expect to prevail in a scholarly community.  Our Residence Life and Housing Office will be communicating with the students in the dorm, looking into the matter, and following up appropriately.”

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the April 25th, 2014 edition of Hamodia.