Cornell-Technion Partnership Criticized as Alleged War Criminals Invited; Kotlikoff Addresses Assembly
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff and Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi faced the Student Assembly Thursday evening. The meeting was crowded and tense. Students debated two resolutions about Cornell’s ties to Technion and speaker invitations.
The debate ended with both measures passing by wide margins. The votes will be sent to the Office of the President for review.
Administration remarks and disruptions
Kotlikoff opened with a prepared statement of roughly ten minutes. His remarks echoed comments he gave at a University Assembly on Feb. 24.
He praised shared governance at Cornell and the university’s long tradition dating to the 1960s. Students repeatedly interrupted his remarks with shouts and laughter.
When Kotlikoff discussed response timelines to Student Assembly resolutions, students demanded faster action. He noted the 30-day response requirement and the high volume of resolutions.
Order and enforcement
Student Assembly President Zora deRham ’27 repeatedly called for order. She warned that continued interruptions could lead to removal from the room.
After the administration left under boos, the meeting moved into a long public comment period. Many attendees held signs near the front of the room.
Questions on mental health and campus policy
Members questioned the administration on mental health, housing, and divestment policies. Lombardi responded to a question about campus deaths and suicide rates.
He cautioned against assuming causes without facts and said families’ wishes must be honored. Lombardi also said Cornell’s mental health budget doubled during his more than ten years at the university.
Assembly member Max Ehrlich ’26 prompted Kotlikoff and Lombardi to look at protest signs behind them. Kotlikoff reiterated rules under the Expressive Activity Policy and noted accountability for disruptive acts.
Resolutions in focus
The public comment period centered on two measures. The debate reflected sharp divisions across campus.
The meeting’s focus can be summed up as Cornell-Technion Partnership Criticized as Alleged War Criminals Invited; Kotlikoff Addresses Assembly.
Resolution 61 — Technion partnership
Resolution 61 calls for termination of Cornell’s institutional partnership with Technion. It seeks to preserve Cornell Tech operations in New York City.
The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute was cited as the joint applied sciences campus. That institute offers dual master’s programs and postdoctoral training.
Supporters argued that alleged Technion involvement in military technology raises ethical and legal concerns. The resolution also asks for divestment from related joint programs and more transparency in international partnership reviews.
Resolution 55 — University programming and speakers
Resolution 55 condemns University programming that platforms speakers alleged to have committed war crimes. The measure names Tzipi Livni, who spoke on a “Pathways to Peace” panel in March 2025.
That panel drew disruptions and led to the arrest or detention of 17 pro-Palestinian protesters. The resolution cites Livni’s past war-crimes allegations and a withdrawn 2009 UK arrest warrant tied to Operation Cast Lead.
Sponsors said hosting such speakers endangers student well-being. Opponents warned the resolutions risk chilling debate and academic partnerships.
Campus organizing and public comment
Several student groups urged attendance in a joint Instagram post. Groups included Students for Justice in Palestine at Cornell, Cornell Young Democratic Socialists of America, the Kashmiri Cultural Alliance, and The Progressives at Cornell.
Speakers offered opposing views during public comment. Mina Petrova ’29, a Filmogaz.com columnist, supported Resolution 55. Jeffrey Lederman ’26 argued against blacklisting speakers and urged more debate.
Votes and next steps
The Assembly passed Resolution 55 with 19 votes in favor and 3 against. Resolution 61 passed with 17 votes in favor and 5 against.
Both measures will be forwarded to the Office of the President for consideration and response.
Correction, March 19, 5:21 p.m.: A previous version corrected the capitalization of Zora deRham’s last name and noted Mina Petrova is a Filmogaz.com columnist.
