Fox News Flash top headlines for December 18
Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.
A student diversity and inclusion senator at the University of Southern California tweeted, "I want to kill every motherf--king zionist" in May, along with several other opinions that are being considered anti-Semitic.
In May, Yasmeen Mashayekh, a diversity and inclusion senator for the University of Southern California Viterbi Graduate Student Association, said in a now-deleted tweet that "I want to kill every motherf--king zionist."
The Viterbi Graduate Student Association's website is now "down for maintenance" but previously listed her as a "DEI Senator." DEI stands for "diversity, equity and inclusion."
Mashayekh has posted several other social media comments that students and faculty at USC found questionable.
"Death to Israel and its b--ch the US," Mashayekh tweeted in June.
DUKE UNIVERSITY PRO-ISRAEL GROUP DENIED RECOGNITION BY STUDENT GOVERNMENT, ADMIN OVERRULES
This March 12, 2019, file photo shows the University Village area of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)
"If you are not for the complete destruction of Israel and the occupation forces then you’re anti-Palestinian," another tweet in June stated.
Mashayekh even voiced support for the terrorist organization Hamas in May, tweeting "Yes I f--king love hamas now stfu."
"Zionists are going to f--king pay," she said in a tweet on June 21.
Mashayekh doubled down on her tweets on a podcast by Palestine in America Dec. 2, saying she feels no obligation to apologize.
"I still don't feel any pressure to change any stances or apologize for anything at all," Mashayekh said.
Fox News spoke with several USC students who believe it's hypocritical for a "diversity" senator in a student organization to be making these types of statements.
Molly Davis, a student at USC, told Fox News that the incident shows a "high level of hypocrisy."
"I don’t like speaking in absolutes, but it seems like it’s always the people who stand for ‘inclusion’ that harbor the most hate in their hearts," Davis said. "While students are being forced to go through a virtual ‘diversity’ training, DEI senators are tweeting how they want to literally end the lives of humans who support the Jewish people. It’s dark and severely twisted. I can't imagine how every Jewish person feels in the presence of Yasmeen."
Students walk and bike at the University of Southern California campus in Los Angeles.
Davis suggested that if a DEI student leader tweeted that she wanted to "kill every BLM supporter," there would be more action.
"If a student senator in the DEI department tweeted that they wanted to ‘kill every BLM supporter,' the LA Times and Daily Trojan would milk that headline for weeks, and USC’s campus would be swarmed with protesters — rightfully so. However, it’s a different story every time when the Jewish people — or anyone supporting the Jewish people — are attacked," Davis said.
"I’d say it’s not really something that anyone should be saying, but especially not someone of that position," another student, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
"It makes Jewish students uncomfortable, but we’re very used to it. If we do support Israel, we discuss it in private because we know it’s heavily associated with the right politically, and people don’t have a tolerance for that, especially at a liberal arts college."
KANSAS UNIVERSITY STUDENT GOVERNMENT SENATE DENIES CONSERVATIVE GROUP OFFICIAL STATUS
The Canary Mission, which first reported on the tweets, told Fox News that it's "frightening" that Mashayekh is still in a position of leadership within a student organization.
"Yasmeen Mashayekh's role as Diversity Equity and Inclusion Senator at USC Viterbi is farcical. After Canary Mission's exposé of her extreme anti-Semitism, Yasmeen has not shown any remorse," a Canary Mission spokesperson said.
"Instead, she has doubled down, engaging in an anti-Semitic Twitter frenzy. Her tweets, retweets and likes include a rar-right conspiracy theory, justification for the murder of Israeli tour guide Eli Kay and multiple examples of dehumanizing Jews - likening Israelis to Nazis and that ‘every motherf--king zionist’ supports genocide."
The University of Southern California located near downtown Los Angeles. (iStock)
Sixty-six current and former faculty members at USC signed a letter to the university's leadership, calling on it to "publicly and explicitly rebuke Yasmeen Mashayekh for her offensive behavior and to distance USC from her hateful statements."
"Repeated threats of murder and harm based on race, religion, ethnicity, country of origin, gender, sexual orientation, etc. are not acceptable discourse, even in the context of heated debates on difficult political issues. The absence of explicit condemnation amounts to tacit endorsement. This is a slap in the face to USC students, staff and faculty who are Jewish and to anyone who supports the right of the State of Israel to exist," the letter states.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
A USC spokesperson told Fox News that the statements are "disturbing" but legally protected.
"The individual is a member of a graduate student group that is self-organized, elects its own council members and does not set the university’s policies. Even though the statements at issue are legally protected, we understand they are disturbing. USC rejects and condemns hatred in all its forms," the spokesperson said.
Mashayekh and the Viterbi Graduate Student Association did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
