Delaware college student goes on 'antisemitic tirade' at Holocaust memorial: prosecutor

NEWARK, Del. (TND) — A University of Delaware student was arrested after she went on "an antisemitic tirade" and vandalized a Holocaust memorial sponsored by a Jewish student group, according to the Delaware Department of Justice.

The DOJ said 23-year-old Jenna Kandeel faces three charges, including one for committing a hate crime, as well as criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

In a news release, Attorney General Kathy Jennings said officers from the University of Delaware Police Department arrested Kandeel Wednesday evening after witnesses told authorities she damaged several flags at the memorial and "made vulgar statements about the Jewish community and the Holocaust."

Jennings said Kandeel later admitted to the vandalism to the officers who took her into custody.

We have a proud history of protecting free speech in this country, including and especially political dissent,” Jennings noted. “But we need to be lucid enough to recognize the daylight -- miles of it, in this case -- between protest and hate. The Holocaust is not ancient history. 80 years later, the world’s Jewish population still has not recovered; its survivors are still with us; and I fear that we still have not learned its lessons. Seeing this ignorance on display, particularly in an increasingly antisemitic climate, should be a wake-up call. We still have work to do.”

The university issued a statement, saying the student has been banned from campus.

Such abhorrent incidents have no place on our campus," according to the statement. "Any acts of discrimination, racism, violence or destructive behavior that are directed at any group and threaten the wellbeing of our community will be addressed immediately. As Blue Hens, we must support one another and draw strength from our shared culture of respect, civil discourse and sense of belonging."

Kandeel's arrest comes as students and activists have been facing charges in connection to anti-Israel protests at colleges and universities across the nation in response to Hamas' deadly attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7.

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