Cornell Student’s Antisemitic Threats Revealed as Misguided Attempt to Generate Empathy for Jewish Community
In a shocking turn of events, a Cornell University engineering student recently pleaded guilty to making antisemitic threats on campus. However, his lawyer claims that the threats were not meant to scare Jewish people but rather to generate empathy for them. The student, Patrick Dai, had recently been diagnosed with autism, which his lawyer believes played a significant role in his actions.
Dai’s lawyer, Lisa Peebles, explained that her client posted the threatening messages online in an attempt to reveal the atrocities committed by Hamas. She stated that Dai’s intention was to make people think twice about supporting the terrorist organization and to garner sympathy for the Jewish community. Peebles argued that Dai’s actions were a result of his difficult emotional state at the time, including depression and struggling with autism, which had not yet been diagnosed.
The situation escalated for Dai after he heard comments made by a Cornell professor who found a Hamas attack “exhilarating.” This comment came around the time of a Gaza hospital bombing that Hamas falsely attributed to Israel. Peebles claims that this incident pushed Dai to a breaking point and led him to devise the plan to make the threatening posts.
When Dai realized that his plan had backfired and caused harm, he posted an apology and expressed that advocating for violence was wrong. His lawyer emphasized that Dai deeply regrets his actions and feels terrible for bringing shame upon his family. Peebles stated that her client has learned a valuable lesson from this experience.
Dai has been in custody since his arrest in October and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12. He pleaded guilty to one charge of posting threats to kill or injure another person using interstate communication. This charge carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Peebles disclosed that federal prosecutors intend to increase Dai’s guideline sentence to between 15 to 21 months, arguing that the acts were committed as a hate crime. However, she plans to fight against this, asserting that her client’s intent was not driven by hatred. Peebles hopes to reduce the guideline sentence to between 10 to 16 months and will request credit for time served since Dai has already been in custody for approximately 10 months.
Dai’s threatening messages included disturbing statements such as “the genocidal fascist Zionist regime will be destroyed” and “rape and kill all the Jew women before they birth more Jewish Hitlers.” He also made specific threats towards a school dining hall catering to kosher diets and mentioned slitting the throats of Jewish men on campus.
The incident involving Dai occurred at a time when antisemitic graffiti was appearing on the Cornell University campus. His mother, Bing Liu, expressed concern about her son’s mental health and suggested that the situation was exacerbated by an antidepressant he had taken at the time.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division addressed the severity of Dai’s actions, stating that he would be held accountable for his abhorrent threats of violence against members of the Cornell University Jewish community. She emphasized the importance of creating a safe environment for educational pursuits at institutions of higher learning.
While this incident has caused significant distress within the Cornell community, it also raises important questions about the intersection of mental health, personal struggles, and misguided attempts at generating empathy. It serves as a reminder that understanding and compassion are crucial in addressing such situations and ensuring the well-being of all individuals involved.
