Cornell cancels Kehlani performance over singer's support of Palestine

Cornell University canceled an upcoming Kehlani performance over the R&B singer’s vocal support of Palestine. In an email to students on Wednesday, President Michael I. Kotlikoff wrote that “although it was not the intention,” Kehlani’s selection as the headliner of a student-planned-and-funded spring festival called Slope Day had “injected division and discord” into the community. He also spoke of “grave” student concern regarding what he characterized as Kehlani’s “antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos, and on social media” that led to his decision.

Following the announcement of the singer’s performance on April 10, a group called Cornellians for Israel launched a petition for her removal that gained over 5,200 signatures in four days, per a report from The Cornell Daily Sun. In an accompanying Instagram post, the group claimed that Kehlani’s selection “effectively communicates that Israeli, Jewish, and Zionist students are not a welcome part of that community.” The post pointed to the singer’s 2024 “Next 2 U” video, which opens with the words “Long live the intifada” and features dancers wearing keffiyehs and waving the Palestinian flag. The post also cited a number of Instagram stories posted by the singer, including one in which she wrote “Long live the resistance in all of its forms,” which the group said “justifies the brutal attacks of October 7th.” The group also started a GoFundMe titled “Reclaim Slope Day: A Celebration for All Cornell Students” to raise money for a new headliner; as of this writing, it’s raised over $28,000.