BUZZ
Key Takeaways
- Ezra Klein, a liberal, faced a disruption from anti-Israel activists during his talk at Sarah Lawrence College where he was labeled a 'Nazi' and 'genocide supporter' despite being a known critic of Israeli policies.
- The event, ironically themed 'Building Bridges,' aimed to promote dialogue but was overshadowed by the protesters' refusal to engage with Klein, who attempted to discuss the situation in Gaza with them.
- The group Students for Justice in Palestine claimed Klein's presence required disruption, labeling him as a 'fascist normalizer' and accusing him of supporting genocidal ideologies, while also alleging that school officials threatened them during the event.
Anti-Israel demonstrators at Sarah Lawrence College disrupted a talk by The New York Times’ Ezra Klein on Wednesday, calling him a “Nazi” and “genocide supporter.”
According to The Times of Israel, what makes this protest different is that Klein is a critic of Israel and has hosted on his show anti-Israel activists such as Columbia University’s Mahmoud Khalil.
During the event — ironically titled “Building Bridges” which dealt with “how we can collectively move beyond polarization toward shared solutions” — Klein in no way could placate the demonstrators.
“Why do you think I deny what’s going on in Gaza?” Klein asks one of the more vocal activists in the video below. “I think it’s destruction, apartheid, subjugation.”
After the activist ignores his query, Klein presses: “Buddy, talk to me. Turn around. I am right here.”
Without acknowledging Klein, the protester accuses him of “backing ‘genocidal ideology’” and yells “Ezra Klein, you’re a liar, you set Palestine on fire.”
The activist then begins chanting “Free free Palestine” as others join in among scattered applause.
Manifestantes antiisraelíes interrumpen un evento de Ezra Klein en el Sarah Lawrence College, lo acusan de genocidio y no lo dejan hablar pero quién es este personaje?
— @IsraelVive (@IsraelVive1948) January 31, 2026
Un judío woikista que sigue al pie de la letra la agenda demócrata, que incluso se reunió con Mahmoud Kalil y… pic.twitter.com/t54XGS4lyU
The Sarah Lawrence chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine posted on its Instagram an image calling Klein a “fascist normalizer” and “Zionist pig,” according to the report.
The group claimed the Klein event “necessitated disruption” as he is an “apologist of white supremacist views” and “accessory to genocidal state violence.”
SJP further alleged school officials “quietly threatened” student activists throughout the event and noted Sarah Lawrence President Cristle Judd “engaged in polite conversation with a white supremacist defender,” and seeks to “punish those who won’t clap for her dehumanization of Palestinians, genocide denial, and colonialist views.”
“We consider it our obligation as people of conscience […] to not allow the platforming of racist political pundits,” the group concluded in part. It then complained any sanctions against protesters would “illuminate the longstanding myth” of free expression at the school.
Jonathan Turley notes that President Judd, seated next to Klein at the event, “sat obediently in silence” and “was entirely useless, remaining a mere pedestrian watching the protest.”
Following the protesters’ exit, Judd merely said “Welcome to Sarah Lawrence College.”
Turley concludes: “As Klein pleaded, ‘You have me right here. You can talk to me,’ he was missing the point. It is not about dialogue or intellectual exchange. These students have been taught that they do not have to tolerate opposing views on their campuses. Klein was simply next in line.”
MORE: Writers group blasts Sarah Lawrence College for ‘tepid’ response to harassment of moderate professor
