Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Dear Editor:

Thanks for publishing the article about this anti-Semitic president (“FSU senate keeps new president”) and the article “Speak out against anti-Semitism on campus,” (both in June 26, 2020). I hope many of your readers decide to express their objections to retaining this student in a leadership position.

The following is a letter I wrote to the president of UCF.

Dear President Thrasher:

Recently you issued a statement that “Anti-Semitism and religious discrimination have no place at Florida State University.” How does that translate into action? Why is Ahmad Daraldik, the Student Senate president, still in office? Using Internet posts, a website and instagrams, he has spewed his hatred against Jews and Israel. Why is Daraldik, who posted a fake image of an alleged Israeli IDF soldier pressing his foot on a young Palestinian girl lying on the ground, still in office?

His predecessor, John Denton, accused of racism, was fired. Daraldik, a member of the group who supported that action, replaced him. “The Holocaust never ended,” he said. “It just moved to Palestine.” In a video posted last month, he labeled Israelis as Nazis. It is evident that this Palestinian Muslim student who grew up in Ramallah, headquarters of the Palestinian Authority, learned to hate.

It is shocking that anti-Semitism is now on the rise in our universities, our cities and elsewhere in the world. In our “blame” society, Jews are easy targets and have been for centuries. Does your university want to continue this abhorrent practice?

As a Florida resident, my taxes help support your university. I want my dollars sent to a school that not only speaks out against anti-Semitism but also takes action against it.

Lenore Richman Roland

Windermere, Fla.