Sahar Aziz Supports Campaign to Reinstate Rutgers Graduation Speaker Rami Elghandour

Sahar Aziz has publicly supported efforts to pressure Rutgers University into reinstating biotech executive Rami Elghandour as a graduation speaker after the university withdrew his invitation over social media posts criticizing Israel. 

The controversy erupted after Rutgers canceled Elghandour’s scheduled May 15 commencement address for the School of Engineering. According to reporting from Associated Press, university officials said some graduating students threatened not to attend the ceremony because of Elghandour’s public statements regarding Israel and Gaza. 

Elghandour has repeatedly posted content accusing Israel of war crimes and apartheid and tweets including allegations that Israel “trains dogs to sexually assault prisoners”, while amplifying pro-Palestinian propaganda online. Rutgers ultimately decided to rescind the invitation following backlash from students concerned about his rhetoric. 

In response, pro-Palestinian student activists and supporters quickly mobilized online, demanding that Rutgers reverse the decision and restore Elghandour as commencement speaker. Among those publicly backing the campaign was Sahar Aziz, who amplified calls defending Elghandour and criticizing Rutgers for withdrawing the invitation. 

Aziz’s support places her alongside activists framing the university’s decision as censorship of anti-Israel political views rather than a response to concerns raised by Jewish and pro-Israel students on campus. 

The incident is part of a broader trend unfolding across American universities, where graduation ceremonies and campus events have increasingly become flashpoints over the Israel-Hamas war and pro-Palestinian activism. Universities have faced pressure from competing groups over invited speakers, student protests, and public political statements related to the conflict. 

Elghandour himself responded angrily to Rutgers’ decision, accusing the university of abandoning its stated commitment to social justice once controversy emerged. He argued that Rutgers had previously celebrated his activism and advocacy work before reversing course under pressure. 

Notably, Elghandour has also promoted and produced explicitly political content related to the conflict, including involvement with the documentary “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” centered on a Palestinian child killed during the war in Gaza. 

Sahar Aziz’s decision to support the reinstatement effort further connects her to a growing network of activists and academics who have rallied behind controversial anti-Israel figures and causes on university campuses. These campaigns frequently minimize legitimate concerns about hostility toward Jewish students, while supporters claim universities are suppressing Palestinian advocacy. 

The Rutgers controversy now joins a growing list of campus disputes where administrators are caught between free speech concerns, donor pressure, student activism, and escalating tensions surrounding the Israel-Palestinian conflict. 

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