Rutgers University has decided to cancel its invitation to a planned graduation speaker following backlash over comments made about Israel, leading the institution to rethink its decision.
The controversy arose when Rami Elghandour, the CEO of biotech firm Arcellx and a Rutgers alumnus, criticized Israel on his social media, accusing the nation of war crimes and sharing other anti-Israel sentiments.
Elghandour is also known for his role as the executive producer of a documentary focusing on a young Palestinian girl who was killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Originally, Elghandour was scheduled to deliver the commencement address at the School of Engineering’s convocation on May 15. However, the university retracted this invitation, as reported by The Associated Press.
A Rutgers spokesperson explained in a statement to the AP that the decision was made after discovering that “some graduating students would not attend their graduation ceremony due to concerns about the invited speaker’s social media posts.”
The spokesperson did not specify which particular posts led to the cancellation of Elghandour’s speaking engagement.
Neither a contact for Rutgers nor Elghandour immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
In a statement to The Guardian, a university spokesperson said, “This decision keeps the focus on our engineering students and honors the celebratory spirit of the event to ensure that no graduate feels forced to choose between their personal convictions and a convocation ceremony.”
During an interview with the outlet, Elghandour said he found it “puzzling” that the university was canceling him for the same humanitarian views they also “champion” him for.
Elghandour’s cancellation is the latest example of anti-Israel sentiments stirring controversy on college campuses.
Another recent example came from the University of Michigan, where a professor hailed Gaza protesters during a graduation speech.
The university president later apologized for the incident, saying the sentiments expressed in the speech “were hurtful and insensitive to many members of our community.”
“We regret the pain this has caused on a day devoted to celebration and accomplishment. For this, the university apologizes,” he added, according to a Times of Israel report.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
