By:  Jordan Baker

A senior City University of New York (CUNY) official is under fire for circulating conspiracy theories that blame Israel for the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack — claims critics are calling antisemitic and deeply offensive.

As the New York Post first reported, Arthur Cheliotes, 76, chairman of the board at CUNY’s School of Labor and Urban Studies and a longtime union leader, reposted a series of inflammatory social media posts suggesting Israel either orchestrated or welcomed the massacre as a strategic excuse to seize Gaza. One post, titled “What Israel Doesn’t Want You to Know,” accused the country of intentionally leaving itself vulnerable, funding Hamas, and even killing its own civilians to justify war.

Among the unsubstantiated points Cheliotes promoted: that Israel pulled troops from the Gaza border days before the attack, received warnings from Egypt it ignored, and circulated false stories about atrocities to manipulate public opinion. The post concluded, “They wanted a pretext. Gaza was the goal.”

In a separate post, Cheliotes compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler, placing side-by-side images of the two leaders with their respective national flags. The comparisons and posts have shocked colleagues and sparked outrage across CUNY and the broader Jewish community.

“I’m blown away. I’m saddened,” said one longtime CUNY insider quoted by the Post. “These are bogus conspiracy theories that are at odds with the truth.”

Former CUNY trustee Jeffrey Wiesenfeld was more direct. “This man is an imbecile and an antisemite,” he told the Post. “There are legitimate criticisms of Israel’s intelligence failures, but blaming Israel for the murder of its own people — 1,200 of them — is sick. It’s antisemitism, plain and simple.”

The Post reports that Cheliotes, who helped found the CUNY Labor School and spent nearly four decades leading the Communications Workers of America Local 1180, defended his posts during a recent interview. “These positions seem reasonable to me,” he said, even as he admitted he wasn’t certain if the claims were true or false. “I don’t know. Are they?”

Doubling down, Cheliotes repeated his belief that Netanyahu allowed the Hamas attack to happen to extend the war and avoid jail time due to his own legal troubles. “You create a crisis to stay in power. That’s what I think Netanyahu has done,” he said.

Cheliotes rejected accusations of antisemitism, noting his personal and family history during World War II: his mother lived under Nazi occupation in Greece, his father fought the Nazis in the U.S. military, and two uncles fought resistance campaigns in Europe. “I’m particularly sensitive to anyone who claims I’m antisemitic,” he told the Post, adding that he’s visited Israel twice and supports its people.

Nonetheless, the backlash continues. CUNY declined to comment on Cheliotes’ posts or any possible disciplinary actions. The Post also noted that Cheliotes has been a prominent voice on labor and “social justice” issues within CUNY for decades.

His comments come amid mounting concerns over antisemitism on CUNY campuses. As the Post first reported, CUNY has faced repeated protests targeting Israel — some of which have turned violent or led to significant property damage. Last year, anti-Israel protests at City College caused an estimated $3 million in damages. At Brooklyn College this May, police had to use a Taser on a protester during a tent encampment clash.