Anti-Israel Students Protest Jerry Seinfeld Commencement Speech

In a continuation of the campus anti-Israel histrionics observed across the country during the past month, some Duke University students decided to walk out of their graduation ceremony when Jewish comedian Jerry Seinfeld was introduced to give the commencement speech. They earned each and every boo directed at them (boos that NBC News incorrectly reports were aimed at Seinfeld rather than the attention-seeking keffiyeh kids).

Graduations have always been performances (pomp, meet circumstance), and they offer opportunities for schools to tout their value and prestige while top-performing students address their peers. In the past, valedictorians have used their few minutes to inflate themselves and flatter their egos. Now, the limelight capture has become a collective effort for those who wish to do nothing of substance to aid Gazans while making sure their insubstantial digital friends can exalt their “bravery” from afar. What rubbish.

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Luther Ray Abel

Luther Ray Abel is an Associate Editor for National Review. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Luther is a proud native of Sheboygan, Wis.

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In a continuation of the campus anti-Israel histrionics observed across the country during the past month, some Duke University students decided to walk out of their graduation ceremony when Jewish comedian Jerry Seinfeld was introduced to give the commencement speech. They earned each and every boo directed at them (boos that NBC News incorrectly reports were aimed at Seinfeld rather than the attention-seeking keffiyeh kids).

Graduations have always been performances (pomp, meet circumstance), and they offer opportunities for schools to tout their value and prestige while top-performing students address their peers. In the past, valedictorians have used their few minutes to inflate themselves and flatter their egos. Now, the limelight capture has become a collective effort for those who wish to do nothing of substance to aid Gazans while making sure their insubstantial digital friends can exalt their “bravery” from afar. What rubbish.