Local News: November 2, 2023

- Cornell will close on Friday for a day of recovery -

Cornell University canceled classes for Friday, November 3. The Cornell Daily Sun reports only essential staff will work that day. Provost Michael Kolikoff says the “community day” will allow the university community time to recover from the “extraordinary stresses” of the past few weeks. Since the October 7 attacks in Israel and the following Israeli attacks in Gaza, the university has experienced a series of rallies, an unconfirmed weapon sighting on campus, antisemitic graffiti, and the arrest this Tuesday of a 21-year-old student in Ithaca for making online threats against Jewish students.

- Binghamton flies Israeli flag outside city hall -

The Israeli flag was raised in front of Binghamton City Hall last week. Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham says it was to show the City stands “shoulder-to-shoulder” with the local Jewish community and Israeli citizens. Also at the flag-raising ceremony were U.S. Representative Marc Molinaro, Rabbi Aaron Slonim head of Binghamton University’s Center for Jewish Student Life, and Binghamton University students. Molinaro represents the 19th Congressional district which includes Binghamton and Ithaca. The independent Binghamton University student paper, The Pipe Dream reported an unrelated incident two days later. A Binghamton student said, “If Hamas is worse than ISIS, then Israel is worse than Nazi Germany” during a campus rally meant to be in support of Palestinians. Rep. Molinaro Binghamton students, community members, and the rally’s organizers quickly condemned the remarks.