“Missing Cow” Posters Mocking Israeli Hostages Spark Outrage at University of Pennsylvania

Abhorrent posters resembling the “Kidnapped” campaign designed by Israeli artists Nitzan Mintz and Dede Bandaid have appeared on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania this week. The posters, labeled "Missing Cow," feature a red and white masthead with a silhouette of a cow and the phrase "beef dinner" written across it. The posters offer a box of chalk and a can of beer as a reward and encourage people to contact an email address.

The posters have drawn criticism for their resemblance to the original “Kidnapped” posters used to raise awareness about the Israeli hostages held by Hamas since October 7. Activist group Stop Antisemitism condemned the posters, calling them a mockery of the kidnapped Israelis and a comparison of the hostage victims to cows.

University officials have swiftly responded to the appearance of the posters, vowing to identify those responsible. The posters were promptly removed, and the university plans to take disciplinary action in accordance with school policy. A spokesperson for UPenn's Public Safety department stated that they are actively working to identify the individuals behind the offensive posters.

Although it remains unclear who is behind the posters, Psychiatry Professor Robert Schnoll claims to have witnessed three students putting them up on Thursday morning. When Schnoll confronted the students about the insensitivity and cruelty of the posters, they quickly ran off.

When the student-run newspaper attempted to contact the email address listed on the posters, they received a response claiming that the posters were meant as a joke to promote veganism. The email stated that the format of the poster was an unintentional mistake and that it did not mean to allude to the kidnapping situation. However, the email's claim contradicts the well-known and widespread nature of the original “Kidnapped” posters.

This incident adds to the ongoing controversy surrounding UPenn amid the Israel-Hamas war. Following a terrorist attack last month, a student was filmed expressing joy and empowerment. The university received backlash for taking too long to disavow the attack, resulting in many donors withdrawing their support. Additionally, UPenn now faces a civil rights complaint, accusing the institution of fostering an environment hostile to Jewish students and attracting anti-Semites.

The Anonymous for the Voiceless, an animal rights organization, was seen on campus on the day the posters appeared. However, the group denies any involvement. Animal rights advocates have faced criticism in the past for comparing meat-eating and livestock slaughter to the Holocaust.

The “Missing Cow” posters are part of a larger controversy over antisemitism at UPenn. Megadonors, including Jon Huntsman Jr and Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, have threatened to halt their donations unless university president Elizabeth Magill resigns. This backlash stems from the college hosting the Palestine Writes Literary Festival, which included polarizing figures such as Professor Marc Lamont Hill. Hill was previously ousted from CNN for making controversial statements about Israel.

In response to the backlash, Magill condemned the attacks by Hamas on Israel and denounced hateful speech. She emphasized that hateful speech has no place at UPenn and is contrary to the institution's values.

Amidst the ongoing conflict, a deal brokered by Qatar and the United States has been reached between Israel and Hamas to free 50 hostages during a four-day ceasefire. This agreement includes the release of dozens of children and their mothers who have been held captive in Gaza since Hamas's incursion into Israel on October 7. The hostages will be freed through Egypt as part of the agreement.