Yale University leaders, elected officials, and clergy in New Haven, Conn. are condemning the desecration of a public Hanukkah menorah after a protester briefly hung a Palestinian flag from it over the weekend. The incident has sparked outrage and calls for action against rising antisemitism on college campuses.

The incident, which lasted little more than a minute, occurred near the Yale campus but not on it. A participant in a pro-Palestinian rally captured the incident on video. In the video, a protester can be seen climbing the menorah and hanging the flag, while other demonstrators can be heard urging them to take it down. The flag was quickly removed at their urging.

Yale President Peter Salovey released a statement condemning the incident, calling it a deeply antisemitic act that sends a hateful message to the Jewish residents of New Haven, including members of the Yale community. Senator Richard Blumenthal, who is Jewish, also spoke out against the incident, describing it as an act of hate and drawing attention to his father's escape from Germany during the Holocaust.

Pro-Palestinian activist organizations across Connecticut, including Yalies4Palestine, a co-sponsor of the rally, also condemned the incident and described it as an antisemitic action. They apologized and clarified that the protester who hung the flag was not affiliated with their groups.

The incident comes at a tense time for elite colleges, as campuses have become the scene of regular protests over the Israel-Hamas war. Last week, Elizabeth Magill, the former president of the University of Pennsylvania, resigned after struggling to address questions about antisemitism on campuses during congressional testimony. Claudine Gay, the president of Harvard, also faced backlash and calls for her resignation after her own testimony.

Dr. Salovey has taken a stronger stance against hate on campus, releasing a statement outlining steps to counteract both antisemitism and Islamophobia at Yale. While expressing a commitment to free expression, he drew a clear line, stating that chants or messages promoting hatred, celebrating the killing of civilians, or calling for genocide of any group are against the university's ideals.

Yale officials are unsure if the person who hung the flag on the menorah was a member of the university community. The New Haven Police Department is currently investigating the incident. Assistant Chief of Police David Zanelli stated that although the incident was hateful, it does not appear to meet the criteria for a hate crime. He also mentioned that the menorah did not seem to have been damaged.

Many officials and Jewish community members have emphasized that targeting a menorah is an attack on Jews, not on the actions of the Israeli government. They have stressed that a menorah is an ancient symbol of the Jewish religion and has nothing to do with Zionism. However, some critics argue that the incident has been blown out of proportion and that the focus should be on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They believe that the uproar over the incident distracts from the larger issues at hand.

As pressure on universities to address rising antisemitism continues to mount, Yale's condemnation of the incident reflects the growing concern about hate speech and actions on college campuses. The incident has prompted calls for universities to take stronger action to ensure the safety and well-being of their Jewish students and to foster an inclusive and respectful environment for all.