Rutgers University has pledged to continue its partnership with Tel Aviv University and would be interested in looking to expand its relationship to other Israeli educational institutions, according to the Consul General of Israel in New York.
Ofir Akunis made his remarks February 13 during an appearance at Rutgers Chabad in New Brunswick following a meeting held with University President Dr. Jonathan Holloway. As he sat at a table with a large platter of fruit to celebrate Tu B’Shevat, Akunis said their conversation also focused on protecting Jewish students on campus.
“It was a very good meeting,” he said to students and staff, adding he expressed concerns about the harassment and threats Jewish students had been subjected to since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas and the need to provide security and safety for those students.
“We want to be sure Jewish students feel safe,” said Akunis. “We love this place. We want it to be a safe place for future generations of Jewish students.”
Chabad Executive Director Rabbi Yosef Carlebach said the university has now taken “strong charge” of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations that last year resulted in encampments, vocal protests and harassment of Jewish students.
“Once you beat them they realize they can be beaten,” he said, adding that now any protests on the College Avenue main campus are required to be held “all the way out in Siberia,” a colloquial name given to the designated Records Field area on the outskirts of the campus.
Several months ago Rutgers settled Title VI complaints with the Office of Civil Rights of the federal Department of Education over discrimination in response to about 400 documented complaints of discrimination against Jewish, Israeli, Arab and Muslim students.
Rabbi Carlebach said now the pro-Palestinian demonstrators are trying work-arounds, such as holding a “cookie bake for Palestine” in front of Alexander Library or a prayer vigil on Morell Street off College Avenue. He said Chabad has taken photos to document everything for university officials.
Akunis noted he appreciated that at the onset of his conversation with Holloway the president reiterated that the university would not be severing its ties to Tel Aviv University, which has a
memorandum of understanding with Rutgers to establish the Israeli educational institution as part of the Innovation and Technology Hub under construction in New Brunswick and slated to open later this year as a 10-story, 550,000-square-foot, $665 million complex on Albany Street, across from the NJ Transit/Amtrak station.
“If you reflect weakness they will continue to beat you,” said Akunis. “I’m sorry, but this is a fact.”
He urged Holloway to use the Israeli Consulate and said the two talked about other Israeli universities with which Rutgers could form initiatives. Akunis said the president was interested.
Rutgers has a history of forming initiatives with Israeli educational institutions and businesses. Tnuva, an Israeli global kosher food manufacturer whose American headquarters is in New Jersey, launched a collaboration with the Rutgers University Food Innovation Center about four years ago.
In 2015 the New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health on the university’s main campus in New Brunswick signed a memorandum of understanding with Tel-Hai College, located three miles from the Lebanese border, launching the New Jersey-Israel Healthy, Functional and Medical Food Alliance.
Akunis also spoke about the prospects of all the hostages returning to Israel and ending the war in Gaza.
He called the soldiers of the IDF “the new Maccabees” fighting for the Israeli and the Jewish people. Akunis told the story of Agam Berger, an IDF observer who was released from Hamas captivity. He said she wanted to pray while in Gaza and miraculously found a siddur, which had been dropped by another Israeli soldier. He quoted her as saying after her release, “I kept the faith but the faith kept me.”
Akunis also drew an analogy between Tu B’Shevat and its celebration of trees and their deep roots that sustain them and the Jewish people.
“We must know our roots because without our roots we are nothing,” he said. “We must say to the next generation of Jewish people, ‘We have our roots and we must defend our nation’s people.’”
Declaring “enough is enough,” and citing the kidnapping “of 251 innocent people, mostly civilians,” Akunis said of Hamas, “they are barbarians.”
He said another former hostage, Mia Schem, had come to his office and told him they “held her in a cage like an animal. They are animals.” He said he would like to think in the future “our neighbors, the Gazans, will behave like human beings.”
Akunis said Israel “was full of mercy” and is allowing significant humanitarian aid to Gaza. He welcomed the increased pressure put on Hamas by the new Trump administration.
He urged students gathered to stay strong and stand up for the truth about Israel.
“Don’t let them spread the lies about the genocide,” said Akunis. “There is no starvation. We supply the water and electricity. We didn’t start the fire and there was a ceasefire (before October 7). These bastards attacked us on Simchat Torah.”
Taylor Shaw, who runs social media for the university’s Students Supporting Israel and is a student Senate member, said she found Akunis’ words “very inspiring.”
“He didn’t sugarcoat anything,” she said. “He was honest and told the truth about what is happening to the Jewish people in the state of Israel and that Hamas must be eliminated…. As a student leader I felt it was immensely important to hear a firsthand account.”
Debra Rubin has had a long career in journalism writing for secular weekly and daily newspapers and Jewish publications. She most recently served as Middlesex/Monmouth bureau chief for the New Jersey Jewish News. She also worked with the media at several nonprofits, including serving as assistant public relations director of HIAS and assistant director of media relations at Yeshiva University.
