Police in New York have taken a person into custody for questioning after Jewish students at Cornell University were subjected to threats of violence over the weekend. The individual, who remains unnamed by authorities, was apprehended following a series of menacing posts on the website Greekrank, where a user with the username "Hamas" threatened to shoot Jewish students at the prestigious university.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed on Tuesday that law enforcement had identified the person responsible and brought them in for questioning. Governor Hochul, who visited the Cornell campus on Monday, expressed her commitment to combating hate and bias in all its forms.

The Cornell Daily Sun, the college newspaper, highlighted a string of antisemitic comments discovered on the Greekrank platform. Although Greekrank is not affiliated with the university, it is widely used by Cornell students and covers fraternity and sorority life on various campuses.

The threats made on Sunday targeted the Cornell Jewish community and included explicit threats aimed at the on-campus kosher dining hall. One particularly alarming comment from a user named "hamas" was titled "if i see another jew" and contained derogatory slurs, along with explicit threats of violence, stalking, and rape against Jewish individuals, including men, women, and infants. The user further claimed their intention to bring a firearm onto the campus to carry out their violent intentions.

Molly Goldstein, the co-president of the Cornell Center for Jewish Living, expressed deep concern for the safety and well-being of Jewish students at the university, stating that they are currently living in a state of extreme fear.

These threats against Cornell's Jewish community are occurring against the backdrop of an alarming rise in antisemitic incidents across the United States. Speaking before a congressional committee on Tuesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray remarked that antisemitic abuse has reached "historic levels" in the country. Director Wray emphasized the disproportionate targeting of Jewish Americans, citing statistics that show they account for approximately 60% of all religious-based hate crimes, despite comprising only about 2.4% of the American population. The recent Israel-Gaza conflict is believed to have further exacerbated these tensions and fueled the increase in antisemitic incidents.

In response to the rising antisemitism and hate speech on campuses, the Biden administration announced on Monday its determination to combat these issues by enhancing communication between local, state, and federal authorities.

Tensions surrounding the Israel-Gaza conflict have been palpable on college campuses across the United States. Just last week, George Washington University witnessed a controversy when students projected messages onto a campus library that were deemed antisemitic by certain Jewish groups. Additionally, an elite law firm recently revoked job offers extended to three Ivy League students who expressed support for Palestinians and placed blame on Israel for the Hamas attacks.

As a result of the threats made against the Cornell Jewish students, the university has heightened security measures to ensure the safety of its campus community.

The incident at Cornell University serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges posed by hatred and prejudice, highlighting the need for continued efforts to foster tolerance, understanding, and unity on college campuses and within society as a whole.